Discovered
by michaelaleigh
Summary: When a girl named Ashling moves to new town with her older brother and alcoholic father her brother is turned into a werewolf. When she meets Derek, another werewolf, they have a connection neither of them understands. Will she finally find love or just be tossed aside by him like she has been by her father her whole life? I do not own Teen Wolf. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

O/Cs

Ashling: 16, bright green eyes, long natural red hair, freckles, 5'3", average

Liam: 21, hazel eyes, dark brown hair, 6'1", athletic build

We moved to Beacon Hills about a week before school started. Our dad got a job opportunity so we moved out here to basically the middle of nowhere. Liam and I had finished unpacking and were sitting his room.

"Your first day is tomorrow."

"Don't talk about it."

"Hey, at least you have an opportunity to get out of the hell hole."

"Don't say that, you have car and you're 19, you can leave whenever the hell you want."

"Yeah but, I'm not leaving you with him." Our dad was an alcoholic, somehow he still manages to keep sober during the day at work and gets to keep his fancy job that pays for the unnecessarily big house we live in. As soon as he gets home though, it's a whole new story. When he drank he took most of his anger out on me. My mom died after having me due to complications and he kind of blamed me for her being gone. Most of the time Liam will take the blunt of my dad's anger for me but, when he's at work I'm on my own. My pale freckled face has had bruises along my jaw line, and I've had red marks on my cheeks. Liam noticed the un-amused look on my face but, continued to talk about school.

"Come on, with those eyes the guys will be all over you."

"No, I'm too awkward but, if you had my eyes, instant lady killer." I sat down in an old beanbag chair that he had in the corner of his room and picked up a paddle ball that was on the ground. There was one more box Liam hadn't opened.

"Is that the one the police radio is in?"

"Yeah, do you wanna listen?" I nodded and he got up taking it out and plugging it in. We found it in the basement one day and since we were little I can remember both of us sitting around it listening to the police calls. We had lived in the city before so there were a lot of robberies, shoplifting, and car theft. We would always make up funny stories as to why they were doing it and make up our own dialogue. Here, there probably wouldn't be as much action. When he turned it on he started playing with the dials trying to find the frequency they used before we found it. I sat playing paddle ball while he sat on his bed on the computer. The police radio had remained silent since we turned it on except for the occasional check for position of the officers. About a half hour later the beginning of a sentence came in static but, the end was clear.

"…found in Beacon Hills preserve, all available units to the area."

"Did you hear the beginning?" I got up and turned the volume up and Liam shook his head getting closer too. We lived right on the edge of the reserve, it was literally about 40 feet behind our house. A voice came over again.

"Still searching for other half of the female's body." My eyes went wide and looked up at my dark haired brother. Although we were both Irish I was the only one who really looked it. I was the stereo typical red headed, green eyed girl. Both of our names were Irish but, Liam's name was supposed to be Finn. Finn meant fair-haired so when he was born the name was forgotten and replaced with one that meant protector and he was, he was my protector. My name meant dream or vision because my mom wanted a little girl so bad. When she found out she was having a girl she knew it was going to be my name. From the few pictures that I had seen of her, I looked just like her while Liam looked more like my father.

"We should go looking!" I got up and started to open his window to climb out when he came up behind me and shut it.

"No, what if whatever killed that girl is still out there.?"

"The police are out there too, come on." I grabbed one of sweatshirts out of his closet and pulled it over my head.

"Fine." Thanks to the strange architecture of the house the window was only a few feet from a roof ledge. I climbed out first and slid down the side waiting for my brother. He came and got in front of me jumping down first and waiting for me to do the same. When I jumped I landed pretty nicely and only wobbled a little. I looked back at the house to make sure our dad's bedroom light was off indicating that he asleep and didn't plan on getting up anytime soon, sure enough it was. When we got into the woods Liam handed me a small flashlight and he had one for himself. We had gone pretty deep into the woods before we heard anything.

"Shh!" Liam put and arm out in front of me and I stopped and listened. We could here some guys voices and a beam of light from another flash light but, not the guys.

"Huh, I didn't even think about that."

"And, uh, what if whatever killed the body is still out here?" Liam flashed me a look to show that he wasn't the only one that thought about it.

"Also something I didn't think about."

"Its comforting to know that you planned this out with your usual attention to detail. Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight, huh?" We could hear them coming up the incline we were standing next to. I shined my flashlight towards where they would come up and saw two guys my age cover their eyes from the light.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The boy with the flashlight got closer and looked at our faces. "it's a small town and I've never seen you before."

"We moved here last week, we were listening to a police radio and we heard half a body was found. I wanted to see the other half."

"That still doesn't answer who you are."

"I'm Liam, this is my sister Ashling."

"You can just call me Ash."

"I'm Stiles and this is Scott." He pointed his thumb at the guy coming up the hill behind him. All of a sudden he looked behind us and flipped off his flashlight gesturing for us to do the same. We looked behind us to see the police coming.

"Come on!" The boy who introduced himself as Stiles started to run.

"Wait up!" I called after them and all of us began to run through the woods. Stiles was way ahead of the rest of us and Scott tried to call his name.

"Stiles!" It was too late though and when Stiles turned around a police dog barked at him catching him off guard and he fell to the ground. Scott but his back against a tree so the cops wouldn't see him and me and Liam followed lead.

"Stay right there!" The police were yelling at him before another officer stopped him.

"Hang on, hang on! This little delinquent belongs to me."

"Dad, how are you doing?"

"Son, do you listen in on all my phone calls."

"No, well, not the boring ones."

"Well, where's your usual partner in crime?"

"Who, Scott? Scotts home. He said he wanted to get a good night's sleep for the first day of school tomorrow. Its just me, in the woods. Alone."

"Scott, you out there?" The man was yelling and using his flashlight to illuminate the space between trees. I straightened up and made sure my arms weren't over the edge of the tree where they could be seen.

"Well, young man, I'm gonna walk you back to your car and have a little conversation about invasion of privacy." It had started to rain when we all started to walk back the way we came. Scott was visibly pissed.

"Was he your ride?"

"Yeah."

"I would offer but, we didn't drive, just walked trough our backyard."

"Its alright." We continued to walk a little more together until Liam said we had to go a different way than Scott.

"We'll you'll see each other in school tomorrow."

"You a sophomore too?"

"Yeah, I guess we might even have some classes together. Later."

"Bye." we went our separate ways and about ten minutes later Liam stopped me again.

"What?"

"Do you hear that?" I listened carefully and I heard it too.

"Screaming?" I looked up at him and he nodded his head. He pulled pocket knife out of his sweatshirt.

"Stay here."

"Why?"

"Because its not safe, go back to the house, just go straight from here." He pointed in the direction I should go before running the other way. I stood until he was out of sight and decided to follow him. After a minute I heard more screaming except this time closer. I started to get scared and backed up going back in the direction Liam told me to. I didn't recognize anything, I wasn't where I was supposed to be, I was lost. I was starting to panic and call for Liam.

"Liam? Are you there? Come on, I don't know where I'm going." I was walking backwards pointing my flashlight where the screaming sound were coming from. I wasn't looking where I was going and tripped over a root falling on my back. When I looked up my vision was blurry but, I could still see someone standing over me. "Liam?" My voice came out weak and I felt myself being picked up. The person was carrying me somewhere and I knew now that it wasn't Liam. Liam smelt almost like cinnamon and this guy smelt like the forest, pine needles and musk. "Let me go." I tried pushing against his chest but it was no use he just tightened his grip. "Where are you taking me?"

"Back to your house, where do you live?"

"Put me down, I'll tell you and you can point me in the right direction."

"Its not safe, now where do you live?"

"Its a private drive, off East Road. It near number 20 on that street."

"Alright, we're almost there then."

"I'm tired." I could feel m eyes closing and myself leaning more against the stranger's chest."

"Then go to sleep."

"I don't thi-I-." Before I could stop myself I was asleep and my life was quite literally in a stranger's arm who picked me up in the middle of the woods after hearing me brother scream in the distance. Things weren't exactly heading to well.

I woke up to someone shaking my shoulders and saying my full name.

"Ashling, Ashling!" I knew it was my brother he was the only one who actually called me that except for my dad when he was angry.

"What?" I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. "Its only 4 in the morning, why are you waking me up?"

"How did you get back last night? You wouldn't have been able to get up on the roof and in the window by yourself." I tried to remember how I got in bed last night.

"Someone carried me through the woods. I started to follow you but, I heard you screaming and I fell and he picked me up. He asked where I lived and I told him. I fell asleep and here I am. What happened to you? I heard you scream and that other guy Scott." I sat up in bed and looked at him. "Did you just get home?" I took in his dirty wet clothes.

"About 15 minutes ago, yeah."

"Well aren't you going to answer my first question? What happened?"

"There was something in the woods, it had the guy pinned down and when it saw me it came after me too. It bit me and took off. Scott was bit too."

"Let me see." He lifted up the side of his shirt and I saw the bite marks in his side.

"What was it?"

"I think it was a wolf, we heard howling after."

"There isn't any wolves in California. It had to be a mountain lion."

"We heard howling, it wasn't a mountain lion." He put his shirt back down. "Did you see the guy who brought you home?"

"No, after I fell my vision was all blurry but, I'm still intact so I guess he was an ok guy."

"Well, go back to sleep then, you have school tomorrow. I have to clean this up."

"See you in a few hours." When he left he turned back off the light but, I didn't go back to sleep. I was still thinking about the mysterious man who carried me back to me house and put me in bed.

I started to hear noise coming from my dad's room down the hall. I put my head against the wall between mine and Liam's room, he was still sleeping. I got up showered, dressed and put my make-up on. I looked pretty good in my short sleeve floral print dress from forever 21. I pulled on a army green leather like jacket and I was satisfied. I went into Liam's room to wake him up so he could get ready before driving me to school.

"Way ahead of you." He had already showered and was pulling on a pair of clean clothes.

"I just need to eat and brush my teeth."

"I'll meet you downstairs." I poured myself a bowl of cereal and sat at the breakfast bar. It was still morning so my dad wasn't drunk yet.

"You look nice."

"Thanks."

"Do you need a ride?"

"No, Liam is taking me, he's getting ready."

"Alright, well, I'll head to work now then. Have a nice day." He pat my shoulder once with his hand before leaving and Liam came downstairs.

"You ready to have to town's boys swooning over you?" I picked up a piece of cereal and threw it at him. He caught it right in front of his face and we both were surprised by how fast his reflexes reacted. I got up and put my bowl in the dishwasher.

"I just need to brush my teeth." I ran into the bathroom and when I was done I came out to see Liam setting the alarm code. "You're coming right back, why do you need to set it?"

"Just in case. All set." We walked out the door and I climbed into the passenger seat of his pick up and he started the engine. Within minutes we were at the school and I found myself hesitant to get out of the truck.

"You'll be fine. Find those guys from last night." I put my hand on the door handle and popped the door open a few inches. "If anyone gives you shit remember their name and I'll beat them up." I finally opened the door all the way and shut it behind me. "Hey!" I was only about 4 feet from the truck so I'm not sure why he yelled it. I turned around and threw my hand in the air.

"What?"

"I love you!"

"I love you too." I turned around and headed back to the school fully aware of they eyes on me. Mostly girls looking me up and down evaluating my appearance. They were probably wondering why I arrived with such an attractive guy, little did they know he was just my brother. I spotted Scott about to lock his bike to the rack and I hurried across the parking lot to catch him before he went inside. I silver Porsche pulled up next to us as I got up to him. When the guy stepped out of the fancy car he hit Scott with his door.

"Hey watch the paint job." When he turned to me he half smiled and nodded his head in my direction before taking off into school.

"Dick." I couldn't stand people like him.

"Tell me about it." He finished locking up his bike as Stiles came over to us.

"Alright, lets see this thing." I almost forgot that Scott got bit too.

"My brother's looked pretty nasty last night."

"He got bit too? Damn, I miss everything."

"Don't feel bad, I missed it too." Scott pulled up his shirt enough for us to see a large patch of gauze soaked with blood on his side.

"Wow."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was a wolf."

"I told Liam last night, there isn't any wolves in California." Stiles backed me up.

"Yeah, not for like 60 years."

"I heard a wolf howling."

"You guys were probably delusional." We walked up the steps into the school.

"Well, if you don't believe me about the wolf, then you won't believe me when I say I found the body."

"What? You're kidding, really?"

"Did you scream when you saw it?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then that's when Liam went to go find you."

"That is freakin' awesome, I mean this is the best thing that's happened in this town since, since the birth of Lydia Martin. Hey Lydia, you look, like you're going to ignore me." His eyes followed a girl walking past him totally ignoring his attempts to talk to her.

"This all your fault you know." He looked back at Scott. "You dragged me down to your nerd depths."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm a nerd by association. I've been scarlet nerded by you." We all turned and walked into the school. Luckily we all our first class together. I sat on one side of Scott with Stiles behind me.

"As you all know there was a body found in the woods last night and I am sure that your eager little minds are coming up with various scenarios as to what happened but, I am here to tell you that the police have a suspect in custody which means you can give your undivided attention to the syllabus on your desk outlining this semester." I saw Scott start to look around while the rest of us looked at the syllabus. He locked his eyes on something outside and I followed his gaze to a girl outside sitting on a bench. I took it he just thought the girl was cute and went back to looking at my syllabus. A man walked into the room with the girl from outside.

"Class we have two new students, this is Allison Argent and I have another name down, she's supposed to be already in here, I talked to her yesterday, Ashling MacKenna."

"That's me." I sort of half raised my hand then quickly putting it back down.

"Very Irish." When I looked at him he got the message to move on. "Just do your best to make them feel welcome." Allison sat in the empty seat behind Scott as the man left the room. Scott turned around and held out his pen to her.

"Thanks." She took it from him and he turned back around. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow but, he just smiled and looked at the syllabus. After class we went our separate ways reuniting for a few classes and at the end of the day I went to my locker which was right next to Scott's since our last names both began with an M. Stiles came over too.

"I saw that killer look you gave the vice principal when he called you Irish."

"As if it isn't obvious enough." He shrugged and another girl came over to us.

"Can someone tell me how new girl is here for all of 5 minutes and she's already hanging out with Lydia's clique?"

"Because she's hot. Beautiful people herd together."

"Offense taken." I cocked my head to the side.

"You're too Irish." I shrugged I couldn't argue with that.

"Ash, are you staying to watch lacrosse practice? I mean you could sit with Allison."

"Sure, I'll text Liam and tell him to pick me up later." I started down the hallway while the guys went the opposite way to the locker room. I had out my phone and wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I bumped into someone and I fell backwards, my books coming out of my bag. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention!"

"Its ok, I wasn't either." I looked up into the blue eyes of the boy who was helping me pick up my books. He got up and held out his hand to help me up, I smiled and took it straightening out my jacket after letting go.

"Again, sorry."

"Its not all your fault." We stood in awkward silence before he pointed over my shoulder. "I have to go, uh, go to lacrosse practice but, I'll see you around?"

"Uh, yeah. See yah." I stepped one way so he could get past but, he stepped in the same direction, each of us let out a nervous laugh as we did the same thing a couple more time before I finally didn't move and he stepped to the side. I walked past him and continued my way down the hall to the exit door that was closest to the field. I walked up the bleachers until I found Allison.

"Is this seat taken?" I stood next to her.

"Oh, no. Go ahead." I sat next to her and put my bag on my lap. Liam texted me back saying that he would come and watch the practice too. Lydia came and sat on Allison's other side just as Scott took the position of goalie.

"Who is that?" Allison was talking about Scott.

"Him? I have no idea who he is. Why?"

"That's Scott." They both looked at me. Lydia said something first.

"You're new here too. How do you know him?"

"I met him this morning."

"I like your dress." She had a way of changing the subject fast.

"Thanks." When the coach blew the whistle Scott put his hands over his helmet and started moving his head around. Someone went to take a shot at the goal and hit Scott in the head knocking him backwards. Once recovered another took a shot but, this time he caught it and the one after that and after that and, he caught all of hem ok?

"He looks like he's pretty good." Scott would be happy to hear her say that.

"Yeah, very good."

"Did I miss anything?" Liam came up next to me and sat down.

"No but, Scott's really good. Watch, he's goalie."

"Uh, Ashling are you going to introduce us to your friend?" Lydia obviously found my brother attractive.

"Uh, you don't have to say out my full name just call me Ash. This isn't my friend, he's my brother. Liam this is Lydia and Allison. You guys this is Liam." He smiled before turning back to watch Scott catch all of the balls thrown in his direction. All of a sudden a guy from the back of the line that was taking shots came up to the front. Recognized him as the dick with the Porsche. He was clearly a star player the way he ran was full of power. Scott, to everyone's surprise, caught the ball. Lydia stood up and cheered for him and I saw Stiles do the same from the player's bench. After practice Liam and I went onto the field to congratulate Scott.

"You were really good out there,"

"Excuse me." I turned around and saw the guy who owns the Porsche standing way to close.

"You are?"

"Jackson, you must be Ashling."

"Just call me Ash."

"Alright, well Ash, I'm having a party Friday night and just wanted to invite you." Liam turned around and looked at down at him since he was about 3 inches taller. "Are you her brother?"

"Yeah, Liam." He outstretched his hand and Jackson took it all the while not breaking eye contact.

"You can come too, if you want, I mean it'll be mostly high school kids but,-"

"I think I will." I smiled at how protective he was being. When they all walked away Scott, Stiles, Liam and I all stood in a circle.

"Do you guys want to come back to the woods after we get changed? I dropped my inhaler there."

"Do you think dad would mind?" I looked up a Liam.

"I don't think so. Yeah, we'll go. Meet us in the parking lot, I'll follow you to where ever you park."

"Alright, be right there." Liam and I walked to his silver pick-up and sat inside.

"Do you really think he won't mind? I mean do you even know when he's supposed to get home?"

"I'll just tell him it was my idea, we took a ride and explored the town. Don't worry about it ok? Just, tell me, how was your first day?"

"The queen said my dress was cute."

"The queen?"

"Lydia, the one with strawberry blonde hair that was sitting with us."

"Oh, so you're with the popular kids?"

"No, Stiles said I was too Irish."

"No, you're just more 'I want you to be my cute little sister' than 'damn I'd like to bang her'."

"Pleasant."

"There they are." Stiles waved to us from across the parking lot and Liam started up the truck coming up behind him as Stiles pulled out in his jeep. We followed them to the edge of the woods in front of a sign that said 'Beacon Hills Preserve No Entry After Dark'. We all got out and followed Scott to where he thought he dropped his inhaler. On the way he started to talk about his success during practice today.

"I don't know it was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball." We came to a little stream that we had to cross. I was wearing ballet flats and a dress so I stood on the edge as they all started to cross trying to figure out the best way across without getting wet. Liam looked back and sighed coming back and throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me across and setting me down on the other side. "And that's not the only weird thing. I hear stuff I shouldn't be able to hear, smell things."

"Smell things? Like what?" Me and Stiles were being very skeptical of my brother and our friend. Liam answered for Scott.

"Like that mint mojito gum in your pocket."

"I don't have any mint mojito…" He reached in his pocket and pulled out a single stick of gum.

"Or like the strawberry chapstick in Ash's jacket." I looked at Scott before digging into my pocket for the alleged chapstick and sure enough I pulled a tube of it out.

"So, you guys are saying all this started with the bite?" I stuck the chapstick back in my pocket and jogged a little to catch up with them.

"What if its like an infection and our bodies are flooding with adrenalin before we go into shock or something?"

"You know what, I actually think I've heard of this. it's a specific kind of infection."

"Are you serious?" Scott stopped and turned to us.

"Yeah, yeah I think its called lycanthropy." Obviously Scott and Liam didn't catch on but, I did.

"What's that? Is that bad?" It was my turn.

"Ah, yeah it's the worst but, only once a month."

"Once a month?"

"Yeah, on the night of the full moon." I made a howling sound and me and Stiles laughed but, obviously they didn't find it as funny. "Hey, you guys are the ones who heard a wolf howling."

"This could be something serious."

"We know, you guys are werewolves!" Scott pushed Stiles in the chest as we headed down a hill.

"Obviously we're kidding, come on guys, calm down." I jumped on Liam's back and he didn't protest just kept walking giving me a piggy back ride.

"If you catch me in shop class melting all the silver down its because Friday is the full moon." Scott stopped walking.

"I could have sworn this was it. The body. The deer came running." He gestured in different directions to show where he saw them. "And I dropped my inhaler." He dropped to the ground and started moving around leaves.

"Maybe the killer moved the body?" I got off Liam's back and knelt down helping him look.

"If he did I hope he left my inhaler, those things are like 80 bucks." Liam and Stiles were standing over us while we looked and I felt Liam's hands grip my arm and pull me up at the same time I saw Stiles hit Scott to get his attention. Liam turned me around so I was facing the same direction as him and Scott did the same. There was a guy, probably a little older than Liam walking toward us. He was wearing a leather jacket over a black shirt. He had short black hair and gray eyes.

"What are you doing here?" He stopped walking about 4 feet from us. "Huh? This is private property."

"Uh, sorry man, we didn't know."

"Yeah, we were just looking for something but, um, forget it." Liam turned me around while he was still looking at him and soon joined me in walking away. I turned my head to look at him longer, for some reason he seemed familiar. Just as Scott and Stiles turned to follow us, he threw something and Scott caught it. It was his inhaler. The guy turned and walked away but not after holding eye contact with me for a few seconds.

"Alright, I have to go to work." Scott held his inhaler in his hand.

"Dude, do you know who that was? That was Derek Hale. You remember right? He's only like a few years older than us."

"Remember what?"

"His family, they all burned to death in a fire like, ten years ago."

"I wonder what he's doing back?"

"Don't know, come on." We made our way back to the cars just as it started raining.

"See you guys tomorrow!" I yelled it to them as we pulled away and they got into Stiles' jeep.

"Where the hell have you two been?" He was drunk, you could tell by the sound of his voice.

"We went for a drive around town after we watched her friend's lacrosse practice. We just wanted to see the town." He came into the small foyer where I was hanging up my jacket and taking off my shoes.

"One of you could have called."

"You obviously didn't care to much or you would have called one of us." I regretted it as soon as the words got past my lips. My father came up to me and slapped me across the face.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, I'm your father and you will respect me." He was so close I could smell the whiskey on his breath. "Go!" He pointed in the direction of the staircase. I did as I was told without fighting, it would only get worse if I did. When I got up to my room I dropped myself onto my bed and buried my face in the pillows. I heard the door open and close then felt my bed shift as someone sat on the edge.

"You didn't deserve that."

"Well, he did it anyway." I felt him start to rub my back trying to calm me down.

"Let me see." I rolled over onto my back and he grabbed onto my arms and pulled me into a sitting position. "Its not that bad, just kinda red."

"Does your bite look any better?"

"I actually haven't checked." He got up and walked into the bathroom that adjoined to my room and sort of shut the door behind him. There was a floor to ceiling mirror on the back of the door he was probably looking in. I got off my bed and followed him in. I came in and saw him peel the gauze off his side to reveal, nothing. There was nothing there just skin, no scab or scar. It looked like it never happened.

"What the hell?" I ran my fingers over the skin which had been torn apart just the day before.

"How- how did that happen?"

"Liam, Ashling!" Liam put his shirt down and put an arm over my shoulders leading me out of the room. When we got to the bottom of the stairs we turned into our dad's office and saw him sitting in a leather chair and a cup of whiskey in his hand. "Is someone going to make dinner?"

"I will, Liam do you want to help me?" He nodded his head and followed me out of the room. I went to the kitchen and started pulling out food I could cook. I didn't actually expect Liam to help me, he couldn't cook for shit, he just watched as I did everything. When I was done we all sat silently around the table and ate. The rest of the night was quiet as I spent it alone in my room.

The next morning I woke up and got ready like I had yesterday except opted for something a little less dressy to wear. I pulled on lilac sweater with a lace back and a pair of skinny jeans before going downstairs to see my dad eating breakfast which was a rare occurrence.

"Morning."

"Morning." I grabbed a granola bar out of the pantry and ate it as I made a mug of tea. "Has Liam been down?"

"No. Do you need a ride?"

"If you don't mind."

"No, its near the office. Are you ready now?"

"Yeah." My dad parks his car in the garage so I went through the door in the kitchen and got in the passenger seat. On the way to the school I decided it would be best to ask him while he's sober.

"There's a party Friday night."

"Someone you know?"

"Yeah, Liam met him, his name is Jackson, he said Liam could come too."

"Do you want to go?"

"It would be fun. I mean if its ok with you."

"Sure, I mean Liam's going to be there."

"Cool." The rest of the ride was silent except for the quiet purr of the engine in the overly expensive car. I got out at school and muttered a thanks as I spotted Scott and made a dash for him.

"What happened to your face?" He put his hand on my chin and turned my head so he could get a better look.

"Bruise, my dad opened a door, I was on the other side."

"Oh."

"I can't stay after for practice but, I can go to the party Friday night."

"I'm going with Allison, like as a date." He couldn't wipe that smile off his face for the rest of the day. Liam texted me letting me know he would be there to pick me up.

"Where were you this morning?"

"In the woods."

"Excuse me?"

"I woke up five miles from the house in the fucking woods. I slept walked out there."

"Interesting."

The next day I got a call from Stiles.

"They're not werewolves."

"Yes, they are and tonight is the full moon, you can't go to the party."

"I played along at first Stiles, get over it. I have to get ready. Later." I hung up the phone and pulled on a pair of coral skinny jeans. I had on a bandeau top and a sheer black button up shirt. I fishtailed my hair to the side and touched up my make-up and went downstairs. My dad was in his office so he wouldn't question my outfit choices. I found Liam in the family room and told him I was ready. When we got there the party was already in full swing. Everyone was dancing so me and Liam hopped in doing the same. I had a little to drink so I was going all out, my shyness was dissipating. When I spun around I noticed Lydia was against the house with Jackson kissing her neck. She was looking at Liam though, kinda gross. I noticed Liam had his hands covering his face. When I went to pull them away he backed up.

"Liam, are you ok?" I tried looking for Scott and saw him doing virtually the same thing.

"I have to go." I followed him through the house and out the door where he got in his truck.

"Liam!"

"I can't, Ashling, its not safe."

"What the hell?" He pulled away and I noticed Scott leaving Allison behind too.

"Did Scott, uh, look like he was going to be sick?"

"Yeah, he drove me here too. I don't have a ride."

"Join the club." I turned on my heel hoping to go inside and find Stiles so he could bring us home, instead I met someone's chest. They smelt like pine needles and musk. I looked up to see Derek Hale, the guy from the woods.

"Whoa there." He put his hand on my shoulder. "Do you guys need a ride?"

"I can ask Stiles. Stiles can bring us home." I turned to Allison seeking her approval.

"He's having a good time though, who are you?" She turned to look at Derek.

"I'm Derek, a friend of Scott's, so ride?" I knew he wasn't a friend of anyone but, Allison was right, Stiles was having fun. We got in Derek's black camaro with me in the back and Allison up front since she would be dropped off first.

"Thanks for the ride." She got out of the car and I climbed into the front. I shamelessly stared at him for a good minute.

"Is there a problem?"

"It was you wasn't it? That carried me back home."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Its not safe in the woods."

"What about Scott and Liam? What are they?"

"Werewolves." He said it without any emotion and kept his eyes focused on the road.

"And you are too?"

"Yep."

"Fantastic." We were about 5 minutes from my house when it hit me. "My dad can't see you bring me back. I can't go back without Liam." He slowed the car down and pulled to the side of the road.

"Why not?"

"Because the thing was I could go to the party _with_ Liam. Coming back without him is not going to go over well."

"Well, then you're coming with me." He started the car again and followed the road further until he turned onto a dirt road into the woods. "Once he finds out I was driving you home he'll come find me anyway." He pulled off into the woods before getting out of the car. "Stay in here."

"What? Why?"

"Because when Scott and Liam come here as werewolves, they will not hesitate to rip you apart."

"Well, alrighty then!"

I sunk down in the front seat and Derek shut his door. About 3 minutes later something hit the roof. Over the edge of the windshield I saw claws. I turned to see what Derek was doing and saw that he turned and pulled the thing from the roof of the car. That thing that was either my friend or my brother. The tumbled to the ground and I noticed that it was Scott, not my brother. Liam was taller. And just as I diminished the thought of him tangling with Derek another wolf came at him. Now, that was Liam. He took Derek to the ground and put up much more of a fight than Scott did. They moved out of sight and eventually Scott followed. I had no idea what to do so I just sank lower into the seat. About an hour later I saw Derek and Liam walking back towards the car looking normal.

Liam opened the passenger door and squatted down so he could talk to me.

"My truck is parked on the other side of the preserve. Derek will drive us there then we can go home." I climbed back into the backseat where I was consumed by darkness. I listened to the engine start up and felt the vibrations of the car as we drove on the uneven dirt road. Fifteen minutes later and I was getting into Liam's truck.

"I'm sorry, Ashling. I just didn't want to risk hurting you."

"Its ok, Derek explained it." The rest of the ride was quiet except for the low volume of the radio playing a song by The Story So Far. By the time we got back to the house our dad was already asleep or maybe passed out. Either way we got upstairs unquestioned and went our separate ways. It had been a long night and both of us just wanted to sleep. In fact that's what I did almost all weekend. I managed to avoid my dad because he was busy getting ready for some business trip he would be taking. Liam and I just sat around and hung out in the game room.

When Monday rolled around I didn't stay to watch their practice but, Scott, Allison, and I walked out to the front of the school. Allison forgave Scott for ditching her at the party and got into the car with her dad. I got into Liam's truck and waved my hand in front of his face.

"Hey, watcha looking at?"

"Allison's dad."

"I kind of want to know but, at the same-"

"Ew, no. Why would you even..?" I really didn't know. "He's a hunter. He came after us during the full moon. Him and a bunch of other guys, that's what happened when we left you at the car. Derek wanted to draw attention away from the car because if they found you in Derek's car, you would be a target too. Long story short, he wants Scott, Derek and me dead."

"Fantastic." He started up the engine and pulled into the road taking us back home.


	2. Chapter 2

I sat down on the bleachers to watch the lacrosse practice. Liam was working a little longer today at the hardware store in town so, he couldn't pick me up even if I wanted him to. I had no problem watching their practices though, it got my mind of things. I watched as Scott went to take a shot at the goal but, was pushed to the ground by Jackson, who was on defense. The coach was yelling at him and you could see Scott getting angry just by the way he moved. The next time he went to take a shot Jackson was knocked to the ground and he lay gripping his shoulder. I saw Scott sink to his knees on the field and put his hands on his head. Stiles went over and helped him up bringing him toward the locker rooms, I went to follow but, out of the corner of my eye I saw Derek and I went to him instead.

"He can't play in the game. He almost exposed himself as a wolf."

"He didn't mean to, his coach was yelling at him, he got angry."

"And what do you think a coach is going to do at a game? He's still going to yell and Scott will still start to change."

"You can teach him not to." I looked up at Derek with expectant eyes.

"I doubt he wants my help."

"You never know until you ask." I pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at the time, I also noticed I had a text from Liam, apparently he was going to be at work until 5. "Like, how I won't know if you'll say no to driving me home until I ask?" I put a smile on my face and when Derek didn't react I tried a more straight forward approach. "Liam is stuck at work until 5, can you drive me home or not?"

"Yeah, I guess." I followed him to the parking lot and got in the passenger side of his shiny black camaro. He turned the key in the ignition and the engine purred to life.

"I can't wait until I have my own car." I buckled my seatbelt and Derek pulled out of the parking space.

"I've seen where you live, your parents can afford to buy you a car."

"Yeah, my dad could get me one," I dropped a subtle hint that my mom wasn't around and continued. "but, I want to earn it myself, that's what Liam did too."

"I see." The rest of the ride was filled with small talk that didn't matter. When he pulled up to my house I unbuckled.

"Thanks for the ride."

"No problem." I got out of his car and shut the door behind me walking up to the door of the big empty house that was my home.

I walked around aimlessly before getting a cup of water and bringing it into the game room with me. I ran my hands over the edge of the pool table, the only person to ever use it was really Liam when he had a group of his friends over, I would always sit back and watch. I sat down on the leather couch and eyed the bookshelf in the corner. I eventually gave in and got up examining the bindings of the books deciding which one to read. I settled for Lord of the Rings considering I had only read the first book of the trilogy and I wanted to finish. I sat back down on the end couch cushion and put my legs out straight in front of me so they were resting on the coffee table. I don't remember much of the book, just Liam waking me up and laughing at me. Sometime during my reading I fell asleep and ended up laying on the couch with the book as a pillow.

"Is dad home?" It was already 5:30, usually he was back by 4.

"No, he called me, he said he was running late at the office. Do you want to order pizza or something for dinner? I'm starved."

"Yeah sure. Do you want me to get the phone book?"

"Nah, lets eat out. Wipe the drool off your face, I'll meet you at the truck."

"Wha-?"

"Kidding, come on." I wiped the sides of my face just in case I really had drooled, I didn't but, I would rather know if I did. I followed him to his truck and in no time we were sitting eating pizza.

"Have any hot girls come into the hardware store and caught your eye?"

"No. Why would a hot girl come to the local hardware store?" I shrugged.

"Maybe she needed paint." He gave me a confused look.

"Why paint?"

"I don't know, maybe the hot girl was painting her room."

"No, just middle aged men, and none of them were really my type. I practically fight them off with sticks."

"I can imagine." We finished eating and headed back to the house where our dad was just getting home too.

"You guys already ate right?"

"Yeah, we just got pizza."

"Good, I had dinner at a meeting, I found out when I leave for my business trip."

"When?"

"In a week, next Saturday actually." All happiness I felt from dinner with Liam drained from me. Did he expect us to think it was coincidence that he was leaving the day before me birthday?

"Oh. How long will you be gone?" I tried to hide the slight bit of sadness in my voice but, I heard it crack at the end. My dad ignored it though.

"At least two weeks, maybe longer if they still need me there." I nodded my head fearing that if I tried talking again my hurt would show through my voice and left the room. I went into the hallway bathroom and locked the door behind me. I could hear Liam talking to him, no doubt about the fact that he wouldn't be here for my birthday. I turned the faucet on so I wouldn't hear them and sat until I heard a set of footsteps pass by. I knew they were my father's because his office is the only other room down this hall. I turned the water off and went up to my room where Liam was already sitting on my bed. I sat next to him and let myself lay the wrong way with my feet hanging off the edge.

"He said he was sorry."

"But, did he mean it?" He always had a habit of disappearing on my birthday saying he had a long day at the office, or he had to run errands. He made excuses not see me on my birthday because it reminded him of the fact that my birth is the reason my mom isn't alive any more.

"Its ok, I'll make that entire week special. You'll have a birth week, ok?" I started to smile and shook my head.

"Aren't you supposed to go into the city next Friday night?"

"I can change the date, they won't mind."

"No, its ok. You can go, that's the thing, I don't want you to feel obligated to do everything with me."

"You sure? The guys won't mind, I could get them to come hang out here-" I put my hand over his mouth.

"Sh. No. You will go flirt with pretty girls at a club. No questions asked."

"Well, when you put it that way." A grin broke out on his face and I smiled too. "I'm working late again on Wednesday, just so you know in advance."

"Why do you do this to me?" He laid back next to me.

"Quit complaining."

"Whatever you say." I picked up my school bag up from the ground beside my bed and pulled out a few binders.

"Homework?"

"Yeah, can you help me with this algebra 2 stuff?"

"Sure." We each sat up against my headboard for hours until 10 o'clock when we finally finished.

"Night." He leaned over and hugged me before getting up and walking over to the door.

"You too." I pushed everything into the bag and put it back onto the floor and got dressed in my pajamas before crawling back into bed and pulling my covers tight around me and falling asleep.

The next day the whole student body was talking about tomorrow night's game. It was the first of the season and everyone was hyped up about it. After classes were over me and Scott were at our lockers until Stiles pulled Scott away and I followed. We peaked around a corner to see Stiles' father, the sheriff, talking to the principal.

"Tell me what they're saying."

"Can you hear them?"

"Shhh." If Stiles was talking in his ear he couldn't.

"Curfew because of the body." We pulled away from the wall.

"Unbelievable. My dad is out looking for a rabid animal while the jerk-off who actually killed the girl is just hanging out, doing whatever he wants."

"We can't exactly tell your dad the truth about Derek."

"I can do something."

"Like what?"

"Find the other half of the body." I had to admit it made sense but, it wasn't a good idea overall.

"Stiles, how are you going to do that? There's miles of woods out there. A wild animal could have eaten it!" It would explain why the day after they were bitten, going back to the woods, the body was no where in sight. After school Liam picked me up and we started heading home but, I got text from Scott asking us to stop at his house shortly after we got there Stiles joined us too.

"What did you find? How did you find it? Where did you find it? And yes, I've had a lot of adderall so…"

"I found something at Derek Hale's."

"Are you kidding, what?"

"Something is buried there, I could smell blood."

"That's awesome! I mean that's terrible, who's blood?"

"I don't know but, when we do your dad nails Derek for the murder and then you help me figure out how to play lacrosse without changing because there's _no way _I'm not playing in that game." As much as I wanted to say that I didn't think Derek killed the girl, I didn't. I didn't have any proof to back it up and they already had their beliefs set in stone so, why mess with them? Me and Liam left but turned the volume up on our phones. Scott was going to the morgue to smell the other half of the body so see if it was the same scent from Derek's house. Sure enough hours later my phone rang.

"It's the same. He killed her and buried the other half of the body."

"Well, what now?"

"We're gonna dig it up." Scott said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We're coming to pick you guys up, we'll wait until we see him leave then dig, we already have shovels." I hung up the phone and Liam was looking at me. He already heard with his werewolf hearing what was going on.

"You don't have to come."

"I want to."

"Ashling, we are going to be digging up a _dead body_, are you sure?"

"Well, I might not participate in the digging but, I do want to come." We sat on the wooden bench in the foyer waiting for them to come. Luckily our father was still at the office making more preparations for his trip so he wasn't there to question where we were going and with whom.

We waited in the woods in Stiles' jeep a good distance back from the Hale house. Finally we saw Derek come out and get into his car leaving the woods. Stiles pulled his jeep forward into the clearing around the house and we all got out. They boys had shovels and I held a flashlight.

"Something's different."

"Different how?"

"I don't know, lets just get this over with." Scott stuck his shovel in first while Stiles tossed his bag on the ground and pulled out his own flashlight.

He set it on the ground pointed at where they were digging. I felt as though they had adequate light so I took an opportunity to explore. I walked up the creaky steps to the door of the house and brushed it with my fingers before reaching for the knob and opening it to step inside. Thee whole place smelt like burnt wood. The first thing I saw was a staircase right in front of the door leading upstairs. I wanted to go up but, I didn't know how sturdy the floor was up there so I just continued on my adventure on the main floor. There were a few pieces of undamaged furniture in random spots while all burnt, old things were clustered together against the walls. I ran my free hand over everything I passed but, kept the flashlight in my right hand pointed straight forward. Soon I came to another door and slowly opened it, it led to the basement. I tested the top stair with my foot making sure it wouldn't collapse under any weight and when it didn't I continued all the way downstairs. Everything down here was torched, there were piles of ash swept against the walls made of cement. The smell of smoke invaded my senses and I felt like I was inhaling it too. I swept the light around the room trying to see the source of the smell and heavy air but, found nothing. It started to get hot and I felt like I couldn't breath. I dropped the flashlight and my hands found my throat. I wasn't being choked, there was nothing there I let my hands back to my sides and continued looking around frantically. It felt like the room was on fire, I started to feel light-headed and felt my knees go about beneath me but, I was caught before I hit the ground.

"Ashling?" Liam pulled me into his arms and suddenly the feeling of fire dissipated. "What happened?" I couldn't find my voice and instead whimpered before tucking my head under my big brother's chin. He had one arm under my knees and one on back as he carried me up the stairs. "Are you ok?" I still couldn't find myself to answer and only shook my head yes. His hand rubbed up and down the side of my arm and brought me back over to where they were digging. He gently put me on my feet but, I only stood for a second before sitting down Indian-style on the ground. I didn't plan on leaving them again after what happened.

"This is taking way too long."

"Just keep digging."

"What if he comes back?"

"Then we get the hell out of here."

"What if he catches us?" Scott and Stiles continued bickering as they dug along side my brother.

"I have a plan for that."

"Which is..?"

"We each run in a different direction, whoever he catches first, too bad."

"I hate that plan." Scott read my mind, I was clumsy and last time I was in the woods I was just walking and fell. Stiles put his shovel into the hole and instead of scooping dirt out held out a hand over Scott and my brother's chests.

"Stop, stop, stop." They threw their shovels out of the hole and bent down. I got up and came around so that I was facing them and sat down as they brushed dirt off a burlap sack.

"Hurry!" Stiles' fingers fumbled over the rope that held the bag shut.

"Yeah, I'm trying. I mean, did he have to tie the thing in like 900 knots?" All of them worked together untying the rope and pulled away the sack. Inside was a wolf, or at least the front half. I shrieked and moved backwards using my legs to push my away from the hole. The boys yelled too and jumped out of the hole. I held a hand over my mouth.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's a wolf."

"Yeah, I can see that. I thought you smelled blood as in _human_ blood."

"I told you something was different." I focused my attention on a purple flower that was a couple feet from the hole. I hadn't seen anything like it in the forest before.

"This doesn't make sense." Liam sounded angry when he said it.

"We have got to get out of here."

"Yeah, help me cover this up." Stiles started to sweep dirt back into the hole but, then his eyes met with the same flower mine had, he looked mesmerized by it and froze.

"What's wrong?"

"You see that flower?"

"What about it?"

"I think its wolfsbane."

"What's that?"

"Haven't you ever seen The Wolfman?" Scott shook his head.

"You're so unprepared for this." Stiles got up and came over to the flower but, before he could reach it, I had my hands on it. I saw that movie and I knew what this was. I lifted it from the ground and saw it was attached to a rope. I pulled the rope up from under the thin layer of dirt and found that it wrapped around the hole. I went around a few times, gathering the rope in my arms as they watched. I got the last of the rope up and held it in my arms before Stiles took it from me.

"You guys." Scott's voice was soft and I looked at where he stood looking into the hole. I went over with Stiles and looked into the hole. I grabbed onto Liam's arm at the sight of the top half of a girl's body. It was like she was looking right at us.

"Ashling, go back to the car." He didn't even look at me when he said it, none of them took their eyes off the girl's body.

I walked back to the jeep looking over my shoulder every so often. They took their eyes away from it and were talking in hushed voices while I climbed into the back of the jeep. In a matter of hours of me playing games on my phone it was daylight and the cops were taking Derek to a squad car handcuffed. Scott and Liam watched from outside the car leaning against the hood while I was still inside. I watched out the window as Stiles snuck across and slid into the front passenger seat of the car they had put Derek in. I sat up and got closer to the window wondering what he was saying to him, in matter of moments sheriff Stilinski pulled his son from the car and dragged him away. Eventually Stiles joined us at the jeep. As we pulled away I sear Derek was looking at me through the window of the cop car. With Liam in the back with me and Scott up front with his best friend we drove through the woods. Scott had his phone out looking up things about wolfsbane.

"I can't find anything about wolfsbane being used for burial."

"Just keep looking, maybe its like for a ritual, or something. Maybe they bury you as a wolf." Liam was fidgeting next to me and squeezing his eyes shut. I put a hand on his shoulder but,, he jerked away. "Or maybe its like a special skill, something you have to learn."

"Put it on my to-do list." Scott was obviously being sarcastic but it didn't help the situation. "Right now I need to figure out how the hell I'm paying this game tonight."

"Maybe its different for girl werewolves."

"Okay! Stop it." Both Scott and Liam were being pissy.

"Stop what?"

"Stop saying werewolf! Stop enjoying this so much!"

"You okay?"

"No, no I'm not! I'm so far from ok!"

"You know, you guys are going to have to accept this, sooner or later."

"Stiles pull over!" Liam gripped the seat in front of him.

"I can't." Scott continued talking to Stiles even though Liam said something.

"We'll you're gonna have to."

"No! I can't breathe!" Scott's hand shot up and hit the roof of the car. Beside me Liam started gripping Stiles' seat harder and his nails were growing.

"Stiles!" He looked behind his shoulder at me cowering away from Liam.

"Whoa, whoa."

"Pull over."

"Why?" Scott reached into Stiles' bag and pulled out some of the rope that is attached to the wolfsbane.

"You kept it?!"

"What was I supposed to do with it?"

"Stop the car." Liam's eyes flashed yellow and made eye contact with Stiles in the rear view mirror. The jeep swerved to the side of the road and came to a stop. Stiles ran out with the backpack and threw it in the woods but, Scott and Liam were already gone.

"Ok, were good!" Stiles started back to the car but, stopped and looked in to see only me.

"No, not really." I climbed into the front seat next to him and we took of down the road looking for them before he called dispatch.

"Stiles, you know you're not supposed to call while I'm on duty." The woman on the other end didn't sound amused.

"I just need to know if you've gotten any odd calls."

"Odd how?"

"Uh, like a dog like individual roaming the streets, or two dog like individuals roaming the streets."

"I'm hanging up on you now."

"NO! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait."

"Good-bye." He slammed his phone down onto the center console. After nearly an hour of driving Stiles was ready to give up looking for them.

"I'll take you home, he probably made his way there anyway."

"Ok."

"Are you and Liam coming to the game tonight?"

"Wouldn't miss it." I said it just as we arrived at my house and sure enough as we were pulling up I saw Liam walk to the front door. "Thanks for the ride!" I ripped open the door and slammed it behind me hearing a faint 'you're welcome' as I ran and jumped on my brother's back.

"Liam, you're ok!" I hugged him tight from behind and I felt his hand go up to mine and hold it as he opened the door the house and let us in. I slid off his back onto the floor.

"The wolfsbane did it, I'm fine now."

"Good because we have a game to go watch." I looked down at his clothes, dirty from running through the woods. "You should change first."

"So should you, you're wearing the same clothes you wore when we were digging." I shivered at the memory before nodding my head and we both went to our rooms to change. I pulled on a clean pair of jeans and my black vans. I knew it would be cold outside so I pulled on a hoodie that was in the back of my closet, it was all black except for a colorful sugar skull on the front. I met Liam at the door and had my hand on the knob just as our dad decided to make an appearance.

"Where are you two going?" He was buzzed, not quite drunk yet.

"To the school's lacrosse game, my friends are on the team." I tapped my fingers on the knob itching to go.

"Oh, there's a girl's lacrosse team?"

"No, they're guys, and this is the first game of the season and they really want me there, so can we go now."

"Fine." He walked away and I opened the door eager to get into Liam's truck and go.

For the first part of the game we were loosing, no one would even pass the ball to Scott. We could tell he was getting angry, the way he was hunched over and breathing heavy.

"This can't be good."

"Nope." Scott finally got thee ball by pulling some fancy maneuver only a werewolf could do but, no one else seemed to notice, and he got a point. The coach yelled for everyone to pass to him and the next time he got the ball and shot it, it went right through the goalie's net.

"Well, shit." I got up and cheered with everyone else while Liam kept his concerned eyes on Scott. The next shot Scott made won the game but, he was fighting the change, I could tell. He ran off the field back to the locker rooms while everyone cheered. Me and Liam fought through the crowds to Stiles who was sitting on the bench. His dad was talking on the phone when we got there. After what we heard all three of use went to the locker room to tell Scott the news. When we got there he and Allison just pulled out of a kiss. She walked out of the locker room smiling.

"I kissed her."

"We saw."

"She kissed me."

"Saw that too. Feels pretty good, huh?"

"I don't know how, but, I controlled it. I pulled it back. Maybe I can do this, maybe its not that bad."

"Yeah, we'll talk later then."

"Stiles, tell him now!" I turned him back around to face Scott.

"Tell me what?"

"The uh, medical examiner looked at the other half of the body we found."

"And?"

"Well, keep it simple. Medical examiner determines killer to be animal not human, Derek is human not animal, Derek not killer, Derek let out of jail."

"Are you kidding?"

"No but, here's a bigger kick in the ass. My dad identified the dead girl, both halves, her name was Laura Hale."

"Hale?"

"Derek's sister."

"But, he still could have killed her."

"Could have." Everyone looked at me. "Why would he kill his own sister?"

"How are we supposed to know? Maybe he's crazy?" Stiles twirled his finger around in the air and I sighed.

"Can we just go home, I haven't slept since the night before you dug her up."

"Yeah, come on." Liam put his hand on my back and led me out the door. I was asleep before we even made it all the way home he must have carried me upstairs and put me in bed because when I woke up I was wrapped in my blankets.


	3. Chapter 3

It was early Monday morning, maybe 3 am, when I heard Liam in his room across the hall. I got up slowly and put my bare feet down on the cold hardwood floor. I walked across the hall and opened his door peeking through before opening the door all the way. Liam was sitting on the ground covered in sweat and had the sheets from his bad wrapped around his legs.

"Ashling." I walked over and sat next to him. He put his arms around me and pulled me close to him.

"What happened?"

"It felt real but, you're alright, it was a dream."

"What happened in your dream?"

"I-I attacked you. We were out walking in the woods at night and I couldn't control it. I shifted, you tried to run but, I caught up to you and pushed you to the ground. My god, I thought it was real, I thought I tried to kill you." He squeezed me tighter to him before letting go completely and getting up. He threw the sheets that were on the floor into a laundry basket and pulled a new blanket out of his closet. Without question I got off the floor and laid down on his bed. He threw the blanket over me and slid next to me. I was back to sleep in a matter of minutes and woke up at 5 to the sound of my alarm clock going off in the other room. I groaned and rolled out of Liam's bed and went to shut it off. I hate Mondays.

I walked into school with Scott and Stiles. It seemed like Scott had the same experience Liam had except he attacked Allison in a bus. We walked out a back door and saw something we didn't expect. A bus with the back door ripped off was surrounded my cops taking pictures of the blood smears and hand prints, obvious signs of struggle. Scott ran back inside and I followed him.

"Liam had a dream like that too, I'm fine, Allison's fine too."

"Then where is she? Help me find her!" Scott backed up looking around him and backed right into Allison. "You're ok." Once I saw that he calmed down I walked to my first class and pulled out my notebook wondering about what happened to Scott and Liam. When chemistry rolled around Scott was still thinking about his dream and it made me think about Liam's too. If Scott's dream, or at least part of it, was actually true, did that mean that Liam really attacked someone in the woods?

"Hey I think they found something!" Some girl was looking out the window and we all got up and looked out too. They were wheeling a man on a stretcher towards an ambulance. The man suddenly sat up screaming, he was covered in blood. I backed up and Scott and Stiles joined me.

"That's good, he's not dead, dead guys can't do that."

"I did that." Scott looked scared of himself after realizing his dream actually happened in a way.

"That means Liam must have actually attacked someone in the woods." I backed up until I was right near the door. I opened it and left the room, I heard Mr. Harris calling me but I didn't care. I made it to the bathroom and dialed my brother's number.

"Aren't you in school?"

"Scott had a dream like yours except it actually happened. He dreamt he attacked Allison in a bus, someone was attacked in a bus but, it wasn't Allison. Liam, you could have really attacked someone in the woods last night."

"Shit. What do I do? Call the cops and tell them there might be a dead body in the woods?"

"No, go for a walk, try to find where it happened then call the cops. I have to go back to class."

"Alright, I'll text you if I find anything." I hung up and walked back to class.

"Ms. Mackenna, how nice of you to join us again."

"Sorry." all eyes were on me when I sat back down in my seat and endured the rest of class.

_I found blood._ The text I got from Liam at lunch gave me a bad feeling.

_Anything else?_

_No, should I still call the cops, there is a lot of blood…_

_I would._ I didn't get a reply and I didn't mind. At the end of the day when Liam picked me up Scott came to the truck too.

"We need to talk to Derek."

"Put your bike in the back, we'll drive there." Scott tossed his backpack into the back of the pick-up and got in, squishing me between them. To say the ride was unpleasant for me was accurate. I could barely move my arms and when we went off road into the woods the bumps pushed me back and forth between them like a pendulum. We finally came to a stop outside the Hale house and got out.

"I know you can me." Scott stared at the house talking at a normal volume. "We need your help."

We walked onto the porch and I fell behind them barely able to see in front of me. The door opened and Derek stepped out.

"Ok, I know we were part of you getting arrested and that we basically announced you being here to the hunters, also, don't know what happened to your sister but, I think I did something last night, Liam too."

"You think you attacked the driver? Do you think you attacked someone in the woods?"

"Did you see what I did last night?"

"No."

"Well can you at least tell us the truth. Are we going to hurt people?"

"Yes."

"Could we kill someone?"

"Yes."

"Am I going to kill someone?"

"Probably."

"The optimism here is unbelievable!" Each of them turned and looked over their shoulders at me, acting like they forgot I was here.

"Look, I can show you how to remember. I can show you how to control the shift, even on a full moon but, its not going to come for free."

"What do you want?"

"You'll find out but, for now I'm going to give you what _you_ want. Go back to where it happened, see it, feel it, let your senses, sight, smell touch. Let your senses do it for you."

"That's it? Just go back?"

"Do you want to know what happened?"

"I just want to know if I hurt him." Scott hung his head when he spoke.

"No you don't, you want to know if you'll hurt her." He turned to Liam. "And you just might hurt anyone close to you." His eyes darted to mine when he spoke and I held my gaze steady until I realized he wouldn't be the one to look away so I did.

"Did the fire start in the basement?" I blurted it out fast and then looked at the three sets of eyes on me.

"Yes." His voice was rough and confused. "Why?"

"When I was down there, it felt like the room was on fire, I could barely breathe, it was hot. I felt it." All of them watched me with curios expressions.

"So that's what was wrong when I found you?" I still hadn't told Liam what happened that night. I shook my head.

"What does it mean?"

"Nothing, you knew there was a fire there, you were probably tired and delusional." Derek said it like he was sure but, I felt like he was hiding something behind his stoic face.

"Whatever. Are we going now?"

"Yeah, Scott do you need a ride?"

"No, I'll just ride my back to Stiles', he'll drive me to the bus." I turned around first to the truck and opened the door getting in and shutting it behind me. I looked at the porch of the Hale house and saw Derek still watching me. I felt the truck jostle as Scott got his bike and Liam got in the driver's seat. I took my eyes away from Derek and saw Liam was looking at the house too, when I turned back though, Derek wasn't in sight. We drove through the woods for 10 minutes until Liam cut the engine.

"Stay in here." He got out and started to touch the trees and walk further ahead. It was getting dark out and I was fidgeting in my seat. Finally he came back to the truck.

"It wasn't me, I was there but, it wasn't me."

"Why were you there?"

"There was someone else there too, a wolf. I saw glowing eyes."

"Who's?"

"Well, they must have been Derek's. They weren't mine!"

"It took you over an hour of wandering through the woods to decide that you saw glowing eyes?"

"Its not like I knew what I was looking for!"

"Well can we go home now? I need to pee." He shot me a look letting me know my bladder was the least of his priorities.

"I need to see Derek." He started up the truck with an angry look on his face and soon we were outside of Derek's once again.

He jumped out of the truck yelling for me to not get out. I waited a few minutes fiddling with the radio trying to find some decent music. I eventually gave up and turned down the volume, when I did I thought I heard something fro inside the house. I opened my door so I could better and sure enough a crashing sound filled the air. I got out and walked up to the house and inside. I saw Scott laying on the ground and Derek fighting Liam, they were all in their wolf forms. I watched from a hole in the wall most likely created by this fight with a hand over my mouth. I watched as Derek threw my brother across the room as Scott jumped at him. He grabbed Scott by the throat and slammed him into the ground a few times before slashing him across the chest

"Stop!" I could feel my eyes filling up with tears as the Scott, now back in human form, Derek and Liam looked at me. As he saw me I saw Liam's wolf features disappear back into his face and Derek's followed soon after. I timidly stepped through the hole in the wall they created and walked between the werewolves to my brother and gripped his forearm. Derek focused back on Scott.

"I didn't kill my sister and I didn't kill the bus driver. Neither of us did. Its not your fault and its not mine."

"THIS. This is all your fault! You ruined my life!"

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You're the one who bit me and Liam!"

"No, I'm not."

"What?"

"I'm not the one who bit you, either of you." His eyes shifted from Scott to Liam. Scott touched the blood from his now healed wound and I watched his face twitch.

"There's another." He was still looking at the blood on his finger.

"Its called an alpha, it's the most dangerous of our kind. Us, we're betas. This thing is more powerful, more animal than any of us. My sister came here looking for him, now I'm trying to find him but, I don't think I can do it without you two."

"Why us?" My brother's voice was strained, he was holding back anger.

"Because he's the one that bit you, you're part of _his _pack. Its you two, you're who he wants."

"Well, I don't want to be part of his pack."

"Too bad, he'll find a way to get to you and it just might be through her." He pointed his finger at me and turned around running his fingers through his hair. "You guys should go." I nodded and walked past him but, he put a hand on my shoulder. "I said he would try to get to you but, I don't plan on letting him." I locked eyes with him not saying a word.

"I'll work with Derek if it keeps the alpha from laying a finger on you." I looked out the window as the trees on the side of the road slipped past.

"I still need to pee." He shook his head and had a tight smile on his face. He was amused even though he knew he shouldn't be at a time like this.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ash?"

I snapped my head toward the sound of name and felt the cold hit me. I looked down at my bare feet on the concrete and exposed legs up until my pajama shorts.

"What the hell?" Scott looked easily as confused as I felt. I tugged my bare arms around me holding my loose tank top closer to my body.

"Here." He stepped closer and took off his sweatshirt and put it on my shoulders.

"How did I get here?"

"You must have slept walked."

"I don't sleep walk, never mind to an abandoned warehouse. Why are _you_ here?"

"I heard a howl, I figured it was the alpha… Do you want me to walk home with you?"

"Yes, please." We walked back in silence, staying away from the main roads because it would attract attention to us. When we got to my house I led him around back and he helped me up onto the roof so I could get back in my window.

"Thank you."

"No problem." I watched him run into the woods before I finally laid down in my bed trying to recall any memory of walking out of the house. I stayed awake in bed until I finally had to get ready for school.

"You don't sleep walk though."

"I know, that's what I said!" I told Liam that I ended up in the same place as Scott last night when he was looking for the alpha.

"I would offer to tie you to your bed or something but, if there was some kind of intruder, it wouldn't go well."

"I wouldn't let you _tie_ me to my bed, that even sounds creepy."

"You're right. I'd use handcuffs." I shot him a glare before getting out of the truck and sending a glare his way.

"See you later."

I walked into the cool air dressed substantially warmer than I was earlier. I had on a pair of black skinny jeans, a tribal print sweater and a pair of leather ankle boots. Throughout the day I took notes when I needed to and braided and unbraided my hair until last period when I left a fishtail braid stay. There were only 5 minutes left of class and the teacher wasn't going to start a new lesson so we were all just sitting there.

"Can I go to the bathroom?"

"Yes, just bring your stuff, you wont have time to come back before the bell rings." I got out into the hallway and went to my locker. I didn't need to go to the bathroom, just wanted to beat the rush in the parking lot. On my towards the door I saw a figure slumped against the wall next to a row of lockers.

"Derek?" His head turned in my direction and I saw how pale he was. The bell rang and he sank closer to the ground covering his hears. I went over to him and put an arm through his.

"Come on." I led him toward the door and out to the parking lot. We were crossing the parking lot when Derek stopped walking and held up his hand to the car that was approaching us, it was Stiles. Derek fell to the ground but, he was too heavy and I couldn't get him back up.

"Stiles, help me!" He reluctantly got out of his jeep. Scott came over from the bike rack too.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was shot."

"He's not looking so good dude." I shot a glare at Stiles and he raised his eyebrows.

"Why aren't you healing?"

"I can't, it was a different kind of bullet." Liam must have seen us holding up traffic because he came running over to us despite the honks of cars behind us, we stayed put.

"That's what she meant when she said you had 48 hours."

"Who said 48 hours?"

"The one who shot you last night."

"I slept walked to where Derek was shot?" Scott nodded as I watched Derek wince and his flickered from their normal grey to his bright blue wolf eyes.

"what are you doing? Stop that!"

"I don't think he can, Scott! Help him up!" Scott grabbed Derek around the waist and half carried half dragged him to the passenger side of Stiles' jeep and put him in.

"I need you to find out what kind of bullet they used."

"How am I going to do that?"

"She's an Argent, she's with them."

"Why should I help you?"

"Because you need me."

"Fine, I'll try. Get him out of here."

"Whoa, can I least have Ash with me? I don't want to be alone with sour wolf here." I looked over at Liam.

"I'll come. Liam can follow us, right?" He nodded and walked back towards his truck. Stiles leaned over Derek and opened the door.

"Just climb over him."

"Stiles he was shot, I don't want to climb o-"

"Just do it." Derek's voice was tense and he clenched his jaw as I crawled across his lap and fell into the back seat.

"Sorry." He didn't say anything, just clenched his jaw tighter as Stiles put his foot on the gas pedal and we rolled out of the parking lot.

In the car Stiles had me text Scott and ask him if he found the bullet yet.

"He said he needs more time." I put his phone back on the center console as Derek pulled off his leather jacket.

"Hey, try not to bleed out on my seats, ok? We're almost there."

"Almost where?"

"Your house."

"What? No, you can't take me there."

"I can't take you to your own house?"

"Not while I can't protect myself." Stiles pulled to the side of the road and cut the engine. I watched out the back window as Liam did the same before getting out and coming to Stiles' window.

"What happens if Scott doesn't find your little magic bullet? Are you dying?"

"Not yet. I have a last resort."

"What do you mean? What last resort?"

"Stiles!" He ignored my brother and kept pestering Derek.

"Oh my god. What is that?" Derek rolled up his sleeve so we could see the bullet wound, to say it was disgusting was an understatement. "Oh, is that contagious. You know, you should probably just get out."

"Start the car. Now."

"You know, I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look, ok. And in fact I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead."

"Start the car or I'm gonna rip your throat out. With my teeth." He turned with a stunned look on his face and met my eyes.

"Just do it Stiles." He started the engine again although we went no where. Hours later it was dark and Liam was still hanging on the side on Stiles' window. Finally Scott called.

"What am I supposed to do with him?" We only heard one side of the conversation.

"And by the way he's starting to smell."

"Like _death_."

"What about your boss?"

"You're not gonna believe where he's telling me to take you." He handed off the phone to Derek and sighed.

"Did you find it?"

"Look, if you don't find it, I'm dead alright."

"Think about this. The alpha calls you out against your will, he's gonna do it again. Next time you either kill with him or you get killed. So if you want to stay alive then you need me. Find the bullet." He hung up the phone.

I studied the back of his head, he had told Stiles he had a last resort but, he just told Scott he would die without the bullet. As little as I knew about Derek I cared if he died, I know I barely know him and it shouldn't matter to me but, it did. Liam went back to his truck and followed us through the dark to the animal clinic. Stiles found a key and opened the door. Derek wandered in and collapsed onto bags of dog food. Stiles got another text from Scott.

"Does Nordic blue monkshood mean anything to you?"

"it's a rare form of wolfsbane, he has to bring me the bullet."

"Why?" I studied his face, he could barely keep his eyes open and he was sweating. Even though I asked the question he averted his gave from my face when he answered.

"Because without it I'm going to die."

Liam came in and helped Derek up leading him into one of the exam rooms. I switched on the light as Derek began pulling his shirt over his head. I watched the way his muscles moved when he did. I also noticed the tattoo on his back, I wanted to ask what it meant but, now wasn't exactly the best time. Derek put his arm out onto the table and it looked even worse than it had before. The veins in his arm were dark and clearly visible under his skin.

"You know that doesn't look like anything some medicine and a good night's sleep couldn't take care of." I elbowed Stiles in the ribs, he was being inconsiderate.

"I have to stop it before it reaches my heart, it'll kill me." I went around to the same side of the table Derek was on and began rummaging through the drawers behind him. I pulled out one of the elastic bands used to cut off circulation and handed it to him. "If he doesn't get here with the bullet in time, last resort."

"Which is?" Derek joined me by the counter and began looking through the drawers himself and pulled out a small power saw.

"You're gonna cut my arm off." Derek slid the saw across the table toward a stunned Liam and Stiles as he wrapped the elastic band around the top of his arm where the bulging veins stopped.

"What if you bleed to death?"

"It'll heal if it works."

"Look, I don't know if I can do this."

"Then let Liam do it."

"Uh, I don't think I can either." Derek looked at me but, right back at the boys, he knew I wouldn't.

"Why not?"

"Well, because of the cutting of the flesh, the sawing of the bone and especially the blood."

"Are you faint at the sight of blood?"

"Maybe we will at a chopped off arm!"

"Alright, how about this? You cut off my arm or I cut off your heads."

"There will be none of that." I tapped the metal table with the edge of my fingernails while I thought.

"You know, I'm so not buying your threats anymore." Derek reached across the table and grabbed Stiles by the shirt and I backed up against the wall. "Alright, alright, totally, I'll do it, I'll do it." Before he released Stiles he leaned over the side of the table and threw up dark blood. "Holy god, what the hell is that?"

"My body is trying to heal itself."

"Well its not doing a very good job of it." The longer I looked at the pool of blood on the ground the more I felt like throwing up.

"You've got to do it now."

"Look, honestly I don't think I can."

"Just do it!"

"Ok, ok." I heard the saw start up and Liam turned me around so I wouldn't see what was going on. "Alright here we go!"

"Stiles?" I heard Scott's voice and turned around, seeing him walk into that doorway lifted so much tension from the room.

"Scott?"

"What the hell are you doing?" He saw the saw pressed to Derek's flesh.

"Oh you just prevented a lifetime of nightmares." Stiles set the saw back down on the table with a relieved smile on his face.

"Did you get it?" Scott dug in his pocket and pulled out the bullet that could save Derek's life and handed it to him.

"What are you gonna do with it?" Derek stood up straight and looked at the bullet in the light with his half closed eyes.

"I'm gonna- I'm gon-" His hand fell to the table and the bullet rolled onto the ground and you could hear the clinking of metal as it fell into an air vent and Derek fell to the floor. Scott scrambled after the bullet while I crouched on the floor with Liam and Stiles around Derek's unconscious body.

"Derek? Derek come on wake up." I had one hand on his uninjured arm and one under his head. While Stiles was gently smacking his face trying to get him conscious again.

"Scott what the hell are we going to do?"

"I don't know!" Scott had his entire arm under a shelf reaching into the vent for the bullet we all hoped he could get.

"He's not waking up! I think he's dying. I think he's dead!"

"Hold on!" He couldn't be dead. Scott was going to get the bullet and he would wake up. He couldn't die. "I got it! I got it!" Scott scrambled over to us with the bullet in his hands.

"Please don't kill me for this." I pulled my hand under from Derek's head when Stiles pulled back his arm ready to punch Derek in the face. It worked. Derek actually woke up, more awake than he had been this whole day.

"Give it to me." He reached out his hand for the bullet and Liam helped him stand up in front of the table again.

Derek bit off the top of the bullet, emptied its contents onto the table and took a lighter out of his pocket. He lit the wolfsbane of fire and we watched it spark before it emitted a blue smoke. He swiped it off the table with one hand into another at the end of the table then pushed it into the bullet wound. He screamed and I backed up into Stiles who pushed me to his side so I was between him and Liam. We watched Derek fall to the floor convulsing and screaming as his veins returned to normal and the hole created from the bullet sealed over and his arm looked normal once again.

"That was AWESOME." We all gave Stiles a funny look and he became aware of all our eyes on him. "Yes."

"Are you ok?" Scott leaned forward looking at him on the ground.

"Except for the agonizing pain." He stood up and brushed himself off.

"I guess the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health."

"Ok, we saved your life, which means you're gonna leave us alone. You got that? And if you don't I'm gonna go to Allison's dad and I'll tell him everything."

"You're going to trust them? You think they can help you?"

"Why not? They're a whole lot freakin' nicer than you are."

"I can show you exactly how nice they are."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I can show you, Liam too."

"Well, I'm going home. I've had enough." Stiles walked out the way we came in and I heard his jeep start and take off.

"So, I guess I'm coming too?"

"Yeah." He avoided eye contact with me and pulled his shirt over his head again. We followed him out, Scott locking up behind us. "You guys can head to the Beacon's Crossing home, Scott will come with me to get my car. We'll meet you there." I turned and started walking to Liam's truck and looked over my shoulder to see Derek doing the same. Being caught staring brought heat to my face and I could feel myself blush as I hurried into the truck. Liam took his time driving along the back roads to the long term care facility.

"What is there to show us here?" We pulled into an empty space in the parking lot with the engine idling waiting for the others.

"We'll have to wait and see." He finally cut the engine and leaned back.

In a matter of minutes Derek's black camaro pulled up beside us. Derek waited for me to open my door and go onto the sidewalk before he did and we all walked into the building. Everything in there was sterile and almost hostile. I stuck close to Liam's side as Derek led us through a series of hallways into a patient's room. A man was sitting in a wheelchair looking at the wall, not moving even when we came in. Derek stood staring at him and Scott broke the silence.

"Who is it?"

"My uncle, Peter Hale."

"Is he… Like you? A werewolf?"

"He was, no he's barely even human. Six years ago my sister and I were at school, our house caught fire, 11 people were trapped inside. He was the only survivor."

"So, what makes you so sure that they set the fire?"

"They're the only ones who knew about us."

"Then they had a reason." Me and Liam lingered closer to the door while Derek and Scott were talking. I couldn't take my eyes off the man with the blank stare. The poor guy probably didn't even know what was happening in the room right now.

"Like what? You tell me what justifies this." Derek turned the man's wheelchair so he was facing us. His eyes didn't move, his head bounced to the side and now his whole face was visible. Burn scars covered the entire right side of his face.

"They say they'll only kill an adult with absolute proof but, there were people in my family that were perfectly ordinary in that fire. This is what they do and its what Allison will do."

"What are you doing?" A shrill voice in the hallway broke me from my daze. "How did you get in here?"

"We were just leaving." He ushered us all out of the room and back into the parking lot. Scott started heading home while we went to our cars. Derek parked too close and we couldn't open our doors at the same time. We each walked into the tiny space at the same time so I started backing up but he grabbed my wrist.

"Go ahead." He went to the end of the car giving me space to open the door and get in.

"Thanks." He mutter an 'anytime' before getting in his own car and taking off.

"Dad is going to be angry."

"He's probably already sleeping." He was right, all the lights were out and we went up to our rooms quietly, careful not to wake him.

I couldn't fall asleep so I turned on the television and sat in bed watching the local news. I watched the images flash across the screen of blood soaked ground and crushed leaves. I read the words rather than listening. The blood belonged to an animal, not a human. Given they didn't know what happened to the animal it was still good news. They were stumped. A mountain lion wouldn't have been in the woods over there but, a select few including me knew what did it. A werewolf, the alpha.

Liam couldn't drive me home from school and I missed the bus because I had to go to my locker so I ended up walking home. As soon as I walked in the door I could smell the alcohol. I kicked off my shoes near the door and hung my jacket on a hook above them. My father walked into the foyer and watched me.

"Hi."

"Where were you two last night?"

"Out with our friends."

"Who?"

"Scott and Stiles." I decided to leave out Derek because he would ask who he was and how we met and I couldn't exactly tell him 'in the woods'.

"Why don't you have any friends that are girls?"

"I do dad, I just don't hang out with them outside of school. I have homework to do." I went to walk past him but, he held out a hand and walked forward to me. For every step he took forward I took one back until I was pressed against the wall opposite of the door.

"We're not done talking until I say we are." He held a finger in my face and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep me from saying anything I would regret later.

"Well, you have me here. Talk to me." His face grew grim. "What to you want to hear about huh? About how I work my ass off all day in school to get good grades and try to please you but, you don't even care. Do you want to talk about how much you hate me when I didn't do anything?" My voice escalated into a scream and his face grew red with anger.

"You did something, you did something alright."

"What did I do to deserve this shit?"

"You took her away from me. Its your fault!" I only had a split second to react and it wasn't enough time. He balled his hand into a fist and punched me in the face before backing away shaking his head. I felt the tears well in my eyes as I slid down the wall with my hand under my nose to catch the falling blood. I would probably have a black eye tomorrow. I sat sobbing against the wall while my father watched me, the experience seemed to sober him enough to see what he had done.

"I-I didn't- I." The door bell rang and he reached behind him and opened it. I looked up and saw Derek standing looking across the room at me. My father kept his head down looking at his feet while Derek walked past him to me. I heard the door shut and out of the corner of my eye watched my father go down the hallway, to his office.

"Where's the kitchen?" I pointed in the direction of the other hallway that led to the kitchen and living room figuring he could find his way with the direction.

He came back with a handful of paper towels which he handed to me. I put them up to my face to absorb the blood falling from my nose. He put his hand on my upper arm and helped me off the ground, bringing me into the kitchen. I sat down at the little table in the corner while he rummaged through the drawers until he found what he was looking for. He filled the plastic bag with ice from the freezer, wrapped it in a hand towel and slid it across the table to me. I picked up the ice and put it on my eye.

"Has he ever hit you before?"

"Not like that." He sat down across from me and looked down at his hands on the table.

"Why does he?"

"You don't need to pretend like you didn't hear it from outside." My hands were still shaking but, I had stopped crying. "Why'd you come?"

"I was driving around, I figured I could stop and talk to Liam."

I knew he was lying but, I wasn't in a mood to push him. Liam's truck wasn't in the driveway making it obvious he wasn't home yet. I pulled the ice from my eye and got up to wash the blood from my hands. When I sat back down his eyes were focused on my eye.

"Is it starting to bruise."

"Yeah." I sighed and folded my arms on the table in front of me and put my face down between them.

"You don't have to stay."

"I'll stay until Liam gets here." I looked up from the table and to his eyes.

"Thank you."

He didn't say anything just nodded and slid a hand across the table. He held one of my hands in his while I hung my head and started crying again. It was a whole hour after I got home before I heard the front door open and shut and Liam's heavy footsteps into the kitchen. My back was to the door so Derek saw his face before I did.

"I should go." He got up and put a hand on my shoulder before leaving me with my brother. Liam crouched down in front of the chair I was in and took both my hands.

"You alright?"

"Fine."

He got up and put his arms around me while I continued to sob into shoulder. I felt him lift me up and he carried me upstairs to his room where he put me on his bed. I heard him in the bathroom and he came out with a couple pills and a cup of water.

"Its going to start hurting, I would take them now." He sat down next to me as I swallowed them. I laid down looking at the ceiling.

"You don't have to go to school tomorrow." He pushed the hair back from my face.

"I'm not staying here with him. I'll cover it up."

"I can get the day off and stay here with you."

"No, its ok." He nodded and lay next to me.

"Tired?"

"Yeah."

"Go to sleep, I'll wake you up in the morning." He squeezed my hand before getting up and shutting off the light and shutting the door behind him. I curled onto my side and pulled the blankets closer to me. I wasn't going to fall asleep for a while, there were too many things going through my head.


	5. Chapter 5

An fyi I shed a few years off Derek's age so it would be a little more reasonable. So in this story Derek is 22, ok? And you'll find out about the sleep walking soon, I promise. Thank you all for the kind reviews!

**Ash's POV**

Liam paced back and forth in front of his bed where I was sitting as he talked on the phone with Scott. He spoke fast and quiet knowing that with Scott's werewolf hearing he could understand no problem while I struggled to make out how many words he had even said. Liam hung up and threw his phone onto the bed next to me.

"What happened?" He looked over at me deciding whether to tell me or not before finally sighing and sitting next to me.

"The alpha has struck again." He had a painful tone of annoyance in his voice as he leaned back. "Some guy working at a video store, that dick Jackson was there with Lydia but, they didn't see anything. The police are saying it's a mountain lion attack."

"Oh."

"Derek and Scott checked it out after it happened. He told Scott that if we don't kill with the alpha, the alpha will kill us."

"I won't let him."

"Really? Are you holding back on me? Can you kick some alpha ass?"

"Yeah, totally. Which is why I get to choose what we watch tonight." I got up and bolted for the stairs leading to the attic where me and Liam put it upon ourselves to set up a theatre of sorts. The room was filled with 5 bean bag chairs placed in front of a television hanging off the wall. I felt Liam's grip on my arm and he pulled me back while he raced forward and dove into the sea of bean bags reaching for the remote. I joined him and tried to wrestle the remote out of his hands but, he put his face right in front of mine and burped.

"Foul play!" I released my grip and pinched my nose shut turning from him and laughing.

**Derek's POV**

I was just making sure they were ok. I didn't know if the movie store attack was just to have me distracted so the alpha could get to Ashling so I had to check. I climbed a tree in the woods at the back of their house and watched for movement in any windows. I saw some in the attic windows and focused my senses. They were fine. Fooling around actually. Ashling's laughter rung in my ears as she fought her brother, who was clearly holding back, for control of the remote. I hopped down from the tree and retreated back to my house. A few minutes later I had my shirt off and was working out. I dropped to the floor and started my push-ups. I stopped with my face inches from the ground as I heard people approaching and retreated upstairs where they wouldn't see me. Three hunters, one of them Kate Argent, kicked in my door and entered my home.

"No one home." Kate laughed.

"Oh, he's here. He's just not feeling particularly hospitable."

"Maybe he's out, burying a bone in the back yard." I raised my eyebrows even though I knew none of them could see me. Dog jokes, seriously?

"Really, a got joke? Go in there and the best shot you got? If you want to provoke him say something like… Too bad your sister bit it before she had her first litter. Too bad she howled like a bitch, when we cut her in half!" The last part pushed me over the edge. I easily sailed down the stairs and took out the two male hunters and growled at Kate. When I lunged at her she pulled out a rod and electrocuted me, sending me heaving on the floor as the current washed over me.

"Wow, this one grew up in all the right places. I don't know whether to kill it or lick it." As she circled around me I crawled and dragged myself across the floor but, she was always right behind me, ready to shock me again. I made my way to the lone couch and lifted myself up turning to face her but, she shot another current through me sending me back rolling on the floor.

"Ah, 900,000 volts." She admires her weapon before looking down at me. "You really never were good with electricity were you or fire. Which is why I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. Maybe we can help each other out. Yes, your sister was severed in to pieces and used as bait to try and catch you. Unpleasant, and quite frankly a little too Texas Chainsaw Massacre for my taste. Now here's the part that might really kick you in the balls. We didn't kill her." I looked up at her face as I still struggled on the ground. "What you think I'm lying?"

"Wouldn't be the first time."

"Why don't you just listen to my heart, tell me if I'm lying." She crossed the small amount of space between us and crouched in front of me. "We. Didn't. Kill. Your. Sister." She said it slow so I could hear her heart, she was right. They didn't. "You hear that? There's no blips or up-ticks, just the steady beat of cold hard truth." She got up and walked away from me again. "We found bite marks on your sister's body, Derek, what do you think did that? A mountain lion?" She tucked the rod back into the holder on her jeans as she continued to talk. "Why aren't we helping each other out? You mine as well be guessing what you've thought all along which is the alpha killed your sister. And all you have to do is tell us who he is and we'll take care of it for you. Problem solved, everyone goes home happy." I looked down at the floor by her feet and heard the satisfaction disappear from her voice. "Unless, you don't know who he is either." I met here eyes before she turned around. "Well, guess who just became totally useless."

As soon as she turned I was up and out the door. I heard the gun shots hit the bare wall as I ran miles into the woods, not stopping until I felt far enough away.

**Ash's POV**

Parent teacher conferences were tonight and thankfully I didn't have to go. I had told my dad about them yesterday so he made sure not to drink. I didn't need to go because I had great grades but, my dad insisted on me going even though I would stay in the car the entire time. I just finished school for the day and I didn't feel like going back even if it was just to the parking lot.

I had my shoes off and my sock covered feet were propped up on the dashboard of the over expensive car. I stretched out and yawned before setting down farther into the seat. I was only asleep for about ten minutes before I was awakened by the sounds of people screaming. I sat up and slipped on my vans and slipping out of the car. I stood in place and watched people run to get into their cars. I heard a low growl and looked underneath a car just in time to see a set of paws dart past.

"Ash, get in the car." My father came through the parking lot toward me but, I darted into a sea of people, I wanted to see how this was going to play out. I heard him call my names a few times but, I was more focused on Scott. He looked like he was in a different world, using his werewolf senses no doubt. I turned my head and saw sheriff Stilinski fall to the ground as a car backed into him. I ran through a row of cars who beeped at me for slowing down their escape. It caught my father's attention and he jogged over to where I was standing.

"Car.'

"Hold on." I went to snake past him but, he put out his arm.

I took him in for the first time in a while. He looked young for his age of 45 and had a full head of hair despite some grays. We stood there until I heard gun shots being fired and I pushed past him to where the action had taken place. Chris Argent was holding a gun in his hand and on the ground a mountain laid heaving its last breaths of air. The sight made me frown. The animal had done nothing and I don't think it deserved to die like that. My father caught up with me and stood at my side looking at the animal. He gripped my arm through my jacket, not in a way of hurting of me just in a way of gaining control to lead me back to the car but, not before me and Scott shared a look over the now dead animal and I turned to look at Mr. Argent. He met my eyes and I quickly looked away as my father gave my arm a slight tug. He opened the passenger door to the car and waited until I was inside before he shut it and got in himself.

"Your teachers said you're doing well." I shook my head and buckled up ready to get home. He got the message and didn't say another word as he started the car and drove the 15 minutes back to the house. Just think, tomorrow he'll be gone. Tomorrow he would leave for at least two weeks.

"He's gone!" Liam jumped onto my bed and jostled me awake.

"Ok." He bounced on his knees like a little kid shaking the bed.

"Get up lazy butt, its already 9." I looked over at the clock and groaned. He was right it was already 9 in the morning. I pulled my blankets up over my head. "Come on, we have the house to ourselves!" Our dad left for his business trip earlier this morning.

"Fine, let me get ready, I'll meet you downstairs."

I sat up and got out of bed going into the bathroom and turning on the shower. I went downstairs in a pair of jeans and a hoodie, sat at the table and watched my brother pour milk into a bowl of cereal.

"When are you leaving today?" He set the bowl down in front of me with a spoon and went back to the counter to make himself some.

"They're coming to pick me up so I can leave the truck here in case you need it."

"Cool but, I asked when so what time?" He sat down across from me and shoveled some cereal into his mouth, talking with his mouthful.

"They're gonna be here around 2 but, they'll probably hang out for like an hour before we go."

"Who's coming?"

"Josh, Tanner, Dean. You know all of them, right?"

"Yeah."

"And they'll probably bring me back in the morning around like 6."

"Alright." I got up and took care of my dishes and then opened the fridge. "We have like no food, can you take me to the store before your friends get here?"

"Just let me brush my teeth."

Nearly three hours later lunch was eaten and the groceries were away so I put on my glasses and sat down to read. It wasn't even 2 o'clock when I heard the doorbell rang and Liam went to go answer it. I heard them all greeting each other and I threw down my book getting up and easily gliding across the hardwood floors in my socks I made my way to the door. Dean and Josh each hugged me and said hi but when I hugged Tanner he lifted me off my feet. Tanner was basically another brother to me.

"How's Ash been?"

"Ash has been good. How's Tanner?" He laughed and set me down.

"I've been good. Hmm, did your freckles multiply?" He leaned down close to me face.

"No!" He put his arm on my shoulders and we all went into the living room to sit down. Liam's friends were talking about what had happened since we left like who was dating who, someone cheating, stuff that, frankly, I didn't care about so I was thankful when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." I shot up from my seat and slid my way to the door bumping into it because I couldn't stop but, making it there nonetheless.

"Derek?"

"Is Liam really leaving you here by yourself?"

"Well, yeah, I told him I wouldn't mind-"

"He cant leave you here with the alpha still out there. I need to talk to him." I watched Derek stiffen as Tanner came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back a little ways from Derek.

"Who's this?"

"Derek. He wants to talk to Liam, can you go get him?" He stood for a few seconds debating whether to leave me with him or not. "Its fine, he's not going to attack me or anything." I felt him walk away.

"So who was that guy?"

"Tanner, he's our friend from Arizona. Why?"

"Just wondering why he didn't want to leave you with me at the door."

"Derek what do you want?" Tanner and Liam came back to the door and I got pushed behind them back into the house with Tanner while the door shut leaving Liam and Derek on the porch.

"How do you guys know that guy?"

"We met him in town, he's just a guy." He stopped me in my tracks, put both hands on my shoulders and leaned down so his face was inches from mine.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Tanner, I told you he's just a guy." He frowned but released me just as Liam came back inside and I saw Derek's car pull out of the driveway.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Liam acted as if a random guy hadn't just shown up at our door. The other guys came in from the living room to join us at the door.

"Hell yeah, lets go!" Dean was always a little on the loud side.

"The keys are in my room on my nightstand. If you need anything call me, ok?"

"Yeah. Have fun."

My brother hugged me as the other guys were heading out the door and in a matter of seconds the house was all mine. I went into my dad's office and slid my butt onto the desk so I could see out the privacy window and watch them leave. I waited 5 minutes before I got down and walked back into the foyer, it was time to release some pent-up energy. I stood and took a couple deep breaths before I screamed at the top of my lungs. It felt good. Then I continued into the kitchen like it never happened and pulled a container of ice cream out of the freezer. I sat down in the family room with a spoon and put my glasses on the coffee table next to my feet. I put on a movie and sat eating ice cream. I put the ice cream on the table halfway through the movie and laid down on the couch pulling the blanket that was hung over the back with me. I turned down the volume a little and shut off the light not caring if I fell asleep. I did just that.

When I woke up the little clock under the television told me it was nine at night. I turned off the tv and cracked my knuckles before getting up and bringing my trash to the kitchen. Before Liam left I guess he started the dishwasher so now I had to empty it. I put my dishes in the sink so I wouldn't get them mixed up with the clean ones and went to work. I was halfway through and putting away the glasses when movement in the window above the sink caught my eye. I stood squinting my eyes into the darkness trying to see it again but, I didn't so I shrugged it off. I had about two cups and I turned to put them in the cabinet when I found myself frozen with fear. Out of the corner of my eye I could see out the sliding glass door in the living room that led to the backyard. I thought I saw something, maybe it was my eyes playing tricks on me. I didn't bother to set the cup I was holding down as I slowly crept my way into the living room. I flipped on the switch for the flood light in the back and from the entry way to the living room I could see nothing was out there, it must have been the pool water reflecting of the glass, it had to be. I turned around and dropped the glass I was holding. Every instinct I had told me to run from the glowing red eyes inches from mine but, I knew how easily he could catch me. I watched as the wolf in front of me raised an arm and brought it down across my collar bone and I felt the wall connect with the back of my head as my world went black.

**Derek's POV**

The front door was left open. I had run through the woods at wolf speed with no other desire than to check on her and I'm not even sure why, I just felt like I had to. I walked in and into the kitchen, at the archway into the living room I smelt blood before I saw a small puddle of it on the floor next to shards of glass. There was blood on the wall too. I walked around the corner and I saw the light on outside, the smell of blood prominent in the air. I saw the pool water tinted red, diluted with blood and my eyes scanned along its length before resting on Ashling's body laid across the first step into the pool, far enough in where the blood would spread but her face was still above water so she could breathe. She was breathing, barely but, I watched her chest rise and fall slowly sending ripples across the water. I never took my eyes off her as I crossed the room, went out the door and carefully pulled her from the water. She had the most blood on her left thigh and her right shoulder but honestly I was more concerned about how cold she was. It was fall and she was in a pool that must have been 40°F. When I picked her up she groaned a little but didn't wake up. I brought her inside and found a bathroom downstairs. I put her on the ground and looked in the cupboards under the sink for some towels. I put them to the side and worked on pulling off her soaked jeans then her sweatshirt. I didn't care about her in nothing but her bra and underwear in front of me, if I didn't stop the bleeding she could die. I ran a towel under warm while I dried her off with another. She was starting to warm up by the time I turned my attention to cleaning the blood of her shoulder. Claw marks, he slashed her right across her collar bone. I bandaged it then turned my attention the her thigh expecting to find another claw mark but instead found a spiral engraved in her skin. I sucked in air but, continued cleaning it and bandaged it up. The alpha wanted revenge. I picked her up in my arms and carried her upstairs to her room. I put her on her bed while I went to her dresser and found a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt to put on her. I managed o pull the shirt over her head easily and put her arms through before lifting up the leg that had he spiral carved into it. She let a groan so slowed down trying not to hurt her. Just as I pulled the sweats up to her hips and watched her stir on the bed.

"It- alpha-" Her eyes fluttered open and she tried to sit up.

"No, don't try to get up." I pushed back on her uninjured shoulder.

"Can you help me get under the covers then?" I pulled the blankets on her bed down around her before putting her hand under her back and lifting her up so I could move what was underneath her. I pulled up the blankets around her.

"Did he say anything to you?" I sat on the edge of the bed facing the wall and heard her behind me.

"No, he just scratched me and I hit my head against the wall and blacked out."

"Alright. Well I should go you need some sleep."

"Stay." I paused and looked back at her. "Please." I could practically smell the fear rolling off her, I couldn't leave her alone.

"do you have a sleeping bag or something?"

"No," She scooted over to the far side of her bed and pat the empty half. "You can just sleep here, as long as you promise not to like, kick me in your sleep. You can get a pair of sweats from Liam's room or something."

**Ash's POV**

Derek came back to my room in a pair of Liam's sweats and the t-shirt he had on earlier minus his jacket. He slid into my bed and it made me feel more at ease. I was scared and would probably never want to be home alone again.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" I looked over at him to see him staring right back.

"If I had gotten here sooner…"

"No point on dwelling on it. It happened already. Why did you come anyway?" He hesitated to answer and broke our eye contact.

"Honestly, I have no idea, it just felt like, I don't know, I just needed to?"

"Oh," I averted my eyes back to the ceiling and felt him move beside me, his arm brushed against mine.

"Sorry."

"Its okay." I felt myself being pulled to sleep and my eyes closed off my vision of the dark room. I could only hear the sound of Derek breathing next to me as I finally drifted off.

His face wasn't as harsh when he slept. I woke up at four in the morning with a view of Derek's sleeping face across the bed from mine. During the nigh our hands had drifted out to each other so that now our fingers touched. I fell back asleep.

The second time I woke up it was to Liam walking in.

"What the hell is going on?" Derek was already sitting up at the side of the bed but, I stayed down. It hurt too much to move.

"The alpha attacked her last night, when I got here she was unconscious and nearly frozen." He got up and got his clothes from his pile on the floor and left to go change.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine, the scratches just hurt."

"Well, hurting is no way to spend your birthday."

"Too late."

"I'll get you some Tylenol or something." He smoothed the hair back off my forehead and left just as Derek came back in.

"Its your birthday?"

"Yes."

"And your dad isn't here?"

"Well you know we aren't exactly the closest." He mumbled an apology and sat at the end of my bed pulling on his shoes. I pulled myself up leaning against the headboard and sat looking out the window while Liam came back in with a cup of water and set it on my nightstand and handed me a couple pills.

"Ok, so I may have invited a few people over, but-"

"You did what? Liam I told you I didn't want anyone over!"

"I thought maybe you would enjoy the company. Its just going to be Scott, Stiles, Allison, Lydia and Jackson! It might be fun."

"Why did you invite Jackson?"

"Well I told Allison she could bring Lydia and I guess that meant Jackson too…"

"Whatever but, I'm not cleaning the blood of the wall or floor, you have to."

"I would have anyway, and I'll just shock the pool so you won't see any blood in it."

"Fine. I'm just not going to guarantee a smile the entire time."

"Ashling, you drive a hard bargain but, I'll take it."

"I should go." Derek stood up and was out the door in seconds, before I could even say thanks. Oh well.

"An FYI, I'm not leaving you alone ever again." Liam got into my bed where Derek was sleeping and pulled me close to him.

"Good because I think I almost peed myself last night."

After 20 minutes Liam practically dragged me out of my bed and left me to get dressed. I reluctantly pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt that covered the bandage on my shoulder. Before I knew it I was sitting on the couch next to Stiles watching Scott and Allison and Lydia and Jackson all lust over each other. Liam went to the store since the alpha wouldn't attack with all of us here.

"I'll be right back."

Stiles muttered something about needing to go to the bathroom and we both got up leaving the little gathering that barely passed for a "party". I walked outside and slid the door shut behind me. I sat down on the patio watching the water move in the pool.

"You shouldn't be out here by yourself."

"You're out here with me." I squinted up at Derek in the darkness as he made his way over and sat next to me.

**Derek's POV**

She pulled at the end of her sleeves and I watched her chew the inside of her cheek.

"I take it your party isn't going so well?"

"Its not a party, its basically couples night in there and me and Stiles are watching. I needed a break."

"So you sit on the ground outside instead of going to your room or something?"

"I like to watch the stars."

"Why? I mean they're pretty but, its always the same." I watched her smile up at the sky, happy to explain why she liked them so much.

"That's exactly it. They're always the same, always there for you. There were here last week, last year. Same as when we were kids or even before we were born. Think, in one hundred years no one will know us. We'll be long forgotten but, those stars, they'll know them just like we did. Its just a constant, a way to escape. I don't know, they fascinate me."

I didn't even try to hide my gaze as she giddily looked up at the sky as she reclined back on her elbows. I watched her long hair fall behind her and brush the ground while a few pieces stayed in her face. She looked over at me and tilted her head to the side with the smile still on her face.

"I guess I get where you're coming from."

"Derek, your world is black and white."

"Yeah, right and wrong. Good and bad. I know what to look for and what to avoid."

"But, there is _so_ much hiding amongst the grays. Things that may not play a role detail wise but, in the big picture you don't want everything one color. Its boring."

"You're awfully wise for a 17 year old girl."

"Please, Derek, I'm a lady."

She giggled and shook her head looking down at our hands next to each other. I picked up my hand and gently put it over hers. She brought her face up to mine, the smile gone from her face. Her lips were parted ever so slightly as I brought mine to them and kissed her. It was slow, certainly not what I was used to but, with Ashling everything was softer and delicate. She brought her free hand to my face and I put our joined hands at the base of her neck.

"Um," We slowly parted and I saw Ashling turn bright red avoiding eye contact with Stiles in the doorway back into the house. "Do you guys have anymore soda, or?"

"Yeah, its in the fridge in the basement. I can go get it for you if you want."

"No, its fine, I think I can find it. You two, just, do what you were doing." He made a disgusted face and turned away from us back into the house. I turned my attention back to Ash as she averted her eyes from mine, probably just as shocked as I was at what I had just done.

"I should get back inside." She got up and furrowed her brow.

"Yeah, I have to go anyway." It was a lie. I had no where else to go. I walked off into the forest and turned back to see her still outside with a hand at the knob on the door. I watched her look up at the sky one last time before taking a deep breath and going back in. What did I just do?


	6. Chapter 6

**3****rd**** Person**

"These are probably going to look bad, aren't they?" She looked at her leg as her brother kneeled in front her and began to peel off the layers of blood soaked gauze.

"Most likely." The doorbell rang and Ash remained in her seat on the couch as Liam went to answer the door.

"Scott had a little run in with the alpha." Derek and Scott walked into the living room and each took a seat while Liam stood pacing in front of the door to the backyard.

"He felt angry, not at me but, it was definitely anger. I could feel it, especially when he drew the spiral."

"What did you just say?" Derek's head snapped up on full alert as the younger wolf began speaking again.

"He drew this spiral on the window of my car, like in the condensation, you know?"

"Did it look like this?" Ash had finished pulling the bandage off her leg herself to reveal a scabbed over cut in the shape of a spiral. Only had Derek had known it was there. Liam looked at Derek.

"What does it mean?"

"Its nothing." Derek got up and tried to shuffle past Liam but he was effectively blocked.

"You saw that on her the other night and didn't tell us. It means something and you're not telling us. That thing _carved_ something into my baby sister's leg and I want to know what it means dammit!"

Derek's eyes wandered to the girl across the room, her eyes pleading with him.

"Nothing."

"You buried your sister under a spiral. Derek, what does it mean?" Her gentle voice brought a calmness to his insides but, he kept his stoic face on.

"You don't want to know." Liam let Derek pass him and everyone else stood still as they heard the front door shut.

Later when Ashling was in bed drifting off to sleep her eyes focused onto the window across the room. The window had the perfect view of the forest just behind their backyard. She watched the tops of the trees sway in the gentle breeze. The sky was considerably bright with moonlight without a cloud in the sky.

**Ash's POV**

"Stay away from Allison. Stay away from Allison." Scott walked beside in the hallways of school repeating his new personal mantra. It changed from time to time and he replaced Allison's name with "Lydia" or "Jackson".

"Can you stop?"

"No, I have to keep reminding myself."

"Well, then I'm walking by myself, its starting to sound like a satanic chant." I broke from Scott, tired of taking his detours around certain people.

After class I met up with Stiles and Scott again in the hall.

"Wait, he wants you to tap into your animal side and get angry?"

"Yeah."

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong but, every time you do that you try to kill someone and that someone is usually me." Liam didn't need Derek's help like Scott did. He managed to keep the wolf inside, that would probably change on the full moon but, for now he was safe to be around when he was angry.

"I know, that's why he says he doesn't know if he can teach me. I have to be able to control it."

"Well, how's he gonna teach you to do that?"

"I don't know, I don't think he does either."

"When are you seeing him again?"

"He told me not to talk about it, just act normal and get through the day-" Stiles stopped Scott and put a hand on his chest.

"When?"

"He's picking me up at the animal clinic after work."

"Alright well that gives me until the end of the school day then."

"To do what?"

"Teach you myself." Stiles left and Scott and I went to our next class together.

"I guess I get to watch him teach you then."

"What?"

"Liam has to work late, they don't want me alone me anymore, blah, blah, blah, Derek is picking me up from school and we awkwardly hang out until like 10 tonight when Liam gets back."

"Whoa, low blow. I'd stay with you but, work."

"Its alright."

After lunch Stiles had his master plan for teaching Scott to control his wolf all planned out. We headed out to the lacrosse field and I took a seat on the bleachers ready for the show. I pulled out a book and put on my classes while Stiles explained to Scott what he was going to do. When the action started I slid my book into my bag and cupped my chin in my hands. Stiles had a smile on his face as he shot the lacrosse balls at Scott, that is until Scott got on his knees and put his face to the ground. He was about to change. He ripped apart the duct tape that bound his hands behind his back. I stood and watched as Stiles slowly approached him and Scott looked up. He didn't change but, he came close. I heard something move behind the bleachers and quickly looked back to see Jackson looking at me then back to the guys on the field.

"Can I help you?"

"No but, you should help your friends, they're weird." He walked away with a cocky grin on his face.

"You look sexy in glasses by the way."

He didn't even look back when he said it but, I could imagine the smug look on his face. Even though I hated Jackson I still blushed as I crossed my arms and watched my friends on the field. They weren't weird, maybe a little socially misguided but, not weird. Finally the end of the day rolled around and I walked out to the parking lot expecting to wait for Derek to show up but, oh no. He was parked right at the bottom of the steps. I froze right as I saw and looked around at all the teenage boys admiring the car and the girls more, well admiring Derek.

"Are you going to get in?" I looked at Derek watching me then at, essentially, the entire school body watching me.

"Yeah." I walked down the steps as he leaned across the passenger seat and opened the door for me. I slid in and buckled up still conscious of everyone looking.

"I didn't know you wore glasses."

"Oh, I don't even need them for distance, I actually forgot I had them on." I went to take them off but the end got stuck in my hair.

"Damn." I struggled twisting the glasses while Derek watched me with raised eyebrows.

"Here." He reached his hands up to my face, untangled it for me and handed me my glasses.

"Thanks." He turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. "Where are we going?"

"Well, your place but, then we've got to go do something else in town."

"Are you going to tell me what?"

"Not until we get there."

"I see how it is."

"See how what is?"

"This situation."

"Um, you mind explaining that in further detail because I'm not exactly grasping what you're trying to say. All that I know is that I'm keeping your ass safe from the alpha."

"No! What you do is show up outside my house on my birthday, kiss me, then act like it never happened!"

Derek slammed on the brakes and we came to a stop in the middle of the road. Luckily no one else was on the road and didn't rear-end us. He looked over at me from his seat.

"Ok, that kiss was a mistake, it shouldn't have happened. I'm not someone you want to get mixed up with."

"Why? Derek, what is so bad about you that you can't let anybody in?"

"You just don't want to." He turned back to face the steering wheel and we started driving once again. I moved as far away from him as I could and leaned my face against the window.

"Or maybe you're afraid to let people in." He didn't say anything but I knew he could hear me. He was choosing to ignore it and I could do the same. As soon as he pulled into my driveway I was out of the car, he didn't even come to a complete stop yet. I walked up to the house and pulled the key from my pocket and unlocked the door. I felt Derek come up behind me.

"Ash-"

"You can go do whatever it is you have to do, I can take care of myself." I stalked inside and tried to shut the door fast so he could come in behind me but, his wolf strength stopped me.

"You're being immature, let me inside." I slid down and sat against the half closed door.

"No."

"Ashling, you know I can easily push this door open but I don't want to hurt you. Move." He was right I was being immature but, hey, I was entitled to it everyone once and a while. Plus he was being an ass.

"Ashling."

"What?"

"Move!"

"You can't make me!"

Ok, I was being really immature, like a 7 year old throwing a temper tantrum. I felt him start to push more on the door so I put my hands down on the ground next to me to keep myself from sliding. My efforts were futile. He pushed the door open, the bottom of it scraping my hand in the process. He shut the door behind him and looked down at me on the floor smearing the blood across my hand. He extended a hand to help me up but I refused it and got up myself. I straightened my dress and walked out of the foyer to the staircase.

"I'll be in my room."

**Derek's POV**

She was stubborn. All I was trying to do was help her and she tried to barricade me out of her house and hurt herself in the process. The kiss was a mistake and I really had hoped she wouldn't bring it up again. Everything was going downhill fast and I needed to get back on her good side so she would go with me to get Scott. If her brother knew I left her alone, I have no doubt in my mind that he would try to kill me. I made my way up and opened the door to see her back to me as she pulled her shirt over her head exposing her back. She turned to put it on the bed but when she turned she clutched the shirt to her front and gave a surprise yelp.

"Derek, get out!" I rolled my eyes and turned around shutting the door behind me.

I guess she didn't grasp the concept that I had seen her half naked before, the night the alpha attacked her. I went downstairs and sat on one of the couches. Liam and Ashling's house seemed _underused._ There bedrooms were personal and maybe even a little messy but the rest of the home looked like something out of a magazine. Something that looked pretty but only because no one ever used it. I turned around and watched a massive heap of blankets drag it way along the floor before it finally settled into the far end of the couch I was sitting on.

"Ashling?"

"What?" As if it wasn't obvious, I raised an eyebrow.

"Why are wrapped in like three different blankets?"

"Only two and for two reasons."

"Elaborate please."

"I'm cold." She peeked through a tiny hole and I caught a glimpse of her eye and flushed cheek.

"And?"

"And, you saw me without a shirt on."

"Its only a big deal if you make it out to be one."

I watched as she visibly relaxed and leaned back against the sofa and finally let the blankets fall around her shoulders rather than covering her face. I looked up and met her eyes. Her looks made it hard to forget about the kiss. I don't think she even realized how beautiful she really was. She had her hair piled loosely onto her head in a bun with stray strands framing her face. Her collar bones were prominent against her porcelain skin and her figure. She was a knock out with a slim waist but a nice full ass. I mentally shook myself. No. You will not think about her ass. Her feet prodded at my thigh.

"Sorry."

She was laying down with her legs scrunched up obviously trying not to kick me. I shook my head and grabbed hold of her ankles and pulled them onto my lap. She seemed unsure at first, like she was going to pull her feet away. I placed my hand over her ankles and she relaxed her feet no longer worried about my reaction.

"So when do we have to leave and run your errands?" She mumbled it into the fabric of the couch but I still understood.

"After you eat dinner."

"Well its only like two…"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well I have time to take a nap, right?"

"You're 17 and you take naps?"

"You're 22 and you don't know how to treat people nicely."

"I'm letting you use my lap as a foot rest, that's not nice?"

"No, because its my couch I'm letting you sit here. _I'm _the one being nice."

"Whatever, just take your damn nap."

**Ash's POV**

"Get up."

"Can't you just go without me?" I yawned and nuzzled my face back into the couch.

"No." I felt Derek get up and my feet slid off him to the floor dragging the rest of me down too.

"Ass." I sat up on my knees and stretched my arms above my head before getting up off the ground. I straighten out my sweatpants and hoodie realizing I look like quite the bum.

"I'm gonna go put on some jeans, then we can go."

"Alright just hurry up." And I do. I run up the stairs and slip out of my sweats then tug on a pair of skinny jeans hopping toward the door pulling my jeans over my hips. I stumble when I bend to pick up my phone but I manage to find my balance and open my bedroom door zipping and buttoning my jeans with victory that I didn't fall. I put my hands in the front pocket of my hoodie and look up to see Derek frowning at me. The smile disappears from my face.

"You really need to back off."

"You were making tons of noise, I thought you were being attacked, not putting on pants."

"Lets go, I'm hungry." I pushed past him and went downstairs. I saw his keys on the couch and snatched them up as he came down. Good he didn't notice. I gestured toward the door.

"You need to go out first, I'll set the alarm." He nodded and left out the front door while I pushed the small buttons on the keypad next to the door before following him out. I watched him reach into his pockets, little did he know his keys weren't in there. I hit the unlock button and he looked back at me with a look that could kill.

"Give me my keys."

"I want to drive though."

"No." I pulled my wallet out from the pocket of my sweatshirt and opened it.

"But, look, I'm a licensed driver of California." I watched him lean in and read.

"You have a motorcycle license?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Well, yeah. I mean I don't ever use it but, yeah." I shrugged and folded back up my wallet.

"You don't exactly strike me as the biker type."

"I'm not. Just growing up I did all the things Liam did. He did motocross so did I. I didn't have a mom to take me and do 'girly' things. I have the license because I thought about getting a bike instead of a car because it would be cheaper. Can I drive or not?" I watched his jaw clench and he rolled his eyes.

"I guess."

I stifle a squeal and rock my feet forwards tempted to jump but, that would be over doing it. I watch the amused expression on his face as I walk over to the driver's side and slid in waiting for him. He got in and watched me as I started the car, no doubt I bet he's regretting letting me drive now. He may not be happy about it but, I'm absolutely giddy.

"Slow down." He frowned looking at the speedometer as I easily maneuvered along the streets of Beacon Hills. We'd got done eating and now I was driving him somewhere else.

"I'm going 40."

"In a 30 zone. Slow down or pull over and I'll drive." I reluctantly let off the gas.

"Why a camaro?"

"Because I wanted something fast and good looking."

"I would have gone with a mustang."

"Why?"

"More horsepower." I leaned forward and looked both ways before turning at the stop sign.

"Next intersection take a left."

"Are you going to tell me where we're going? It'd be much easier."

"Animal clinic."

"Why?" I ask as I take the left he was talking about.

"I have to talk to someone. You can stay in the car."

"Alright." I pulled up at the animal clinic and cut the engine. Derek pulled a piece of paper out of the glove box then got out.

"Stay in the car." His eyes bore into mine, it seemed like a threat.

"I said I would!"

He shut the door and stalked in leaving me alone in the parking lot. I sat playing games on my phone for what felt like an eternity. I looked at the time. An hour had passed, it mine as well be an eternity. I slide down in the seat as I watch someone ride their bike up to the animal clinic. Oh, its just Scott. I sit up again and he sees me in Derek's car. I rolled down the window and he came over.

"Where the hell is Derek?" To me it seemed quite obvious.

"Inside. He told me to wait in the car and its been an hour." He walked away before I even finished my sentence.

"Nice seeing you Scott!"

I made sure the tone on my voice was angry but all I got back was a wave over his head. How considerate. I go back to my phone and play games for a few more minutes then something catches my attention. A noise from inside. I looked in all the mirror before deciding it was safe to get out. The alpha wasn't out here and if he was inside then waiting out here I was a sitting duck anyway. I walked in and saw Scott and Derek watching an unconscious man tied to a chair.

"Do I want to know?"

"Know that Derek knocked out my boss because he thinks he's the alpha." I couldn't hide the shock on my face. The man bleeding tied to the chair didn't exactly, er, strike me as a werewolf.

"Do you have a plan?" Derek began pacing around the room while Scott focused on his boss.

"Just give me an hour."

"Then what?"

"Meet me at the school. In the parking lot." Derek walked out the door probably into the waiting room not wanting to deal with Scott.

"Can I ask what's going to happen at the school?" I jumped up so I was sitting at the edge of the metal exam table.

"Stiles has a plan. Its kind of crazy but, its all we can think of."

"Can I come with you?" Scott's forehead creased when he looked up at me.

"Aren't you supposed to stay with Derek?"

"He's not exactly enjoyable to be around." I grumbled and slid off the table.

"Sorry. Look I'll see you at the school in an hour. I have to go get Stiles."

"Fine. Leave me with the moody werewolf." Scott let out a slight chuckle and hugged me.

"You know he can probably hear right?"

"Yeah but what's he gonna do about it?" He left and I was rejoined by Derek.

"Am I really moody?"

"Incredibly. Now what do you plan on doing about _this_?" I gestured towards the man still in the chair.

"Take him to the school with us and since you called me moody, I'm driving."

"I've had my fill." I glanced around the room and thought about the day we were in here curing Derek's wolfsbane bullet. I ran my hand along the counter. "What kind of drugs do you think he has here?" He seemed genuinely surprised by my question.

"Doesn't matter, you're not stealing a vet's drugs."

"Mr. Hale, you are _so _boring."

"You're not taking drugs. Do you have any idea how pissed your brother would be?"

"He's my brother not my parent and I don't tell him everything I do."

"What haven't you told him?" Derek came up in front of me and studied my face. He had a way of making me uncomfortable. I shifted my eyes from him and shuffled my feet.

"I don't have to answer to you." I watched his eyes flash electric blue while he turned from me.

"I think you're the moody one."

"Maybe."

"Do you want to leave now and just drive around until we have to meet them?"

"Yes. I'm dying of boredom."

Every few minutes, from my place in the passenger seat I looked back at the unconscious man then to the road around us.

"Nervous?"

"Well we are driving around with an unconscious man in the back seat."

"We're almost at the school."

"Good. If we were pulled over I would have said you took me hostage."

"Glad to know you're eager to throw me under the bus."

"I'm sure you'd do the same for me." I enjoyed this side of Derek, the sarcastic one. His sarcasm I could handle with my own but any other time he intimidated me.

Me and Derek each got out of the car. I leaned against Stiles' jeep and looked at the school. It was scarier at night although during the day full of bitchy teenagers it wasn't all that pleasant either.

"Where's my boss?"

"In the back."

"Oh, he looks comfortable." Stiles made a disgusted face before he and Scott headed toward the school with a large pair of pliers.

"Hey, where are you going?" I stepped forward to follow them but, Derek grabbed my wrist and held me back.

"You said I was linked with the alpha, I'm gonna see if you're right" The boys headed into the school and I shook free of Derek. I walked back over to stiles jeep and sat down with my back against one of the tires yawning.

"How long is this going to take?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what they're doing."

"Liam should be off soon. If you're still hear with Scott or whatever he can come pick me up."

Derek said nothing but nodded so I pulled out my phone and texted him that we were at the school and to pick me up when he could.

A strange sound came over the loud speaker of the school, the sound drifted out to us. It sounded like a cat stuck in a doorway. From lack of sleep I found everything hilarious and erupted in laughter.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Derek on the other hand wasn't amused. My laughter was cut short when another sound invaded the air space. I shot up from the ground and looked around for the alpha before I realized the low growl was from the loud speaker. It was Scott again. I relaxed against the jeep next to Derek while he continued to survey the tree line and the parking lot.

The boys came back out and Derek pulled from the jeep.

"I'm going to kill both of you." Oh boy. Angry Derek. I groaned and hit my head against the jeep's window. "What the hell was that? Are you trying to attract the entire state to the school?"

"Sorry, I didn't think it would be that loud."

"Yeah it was loud and it was _awesome._" I chuckled at Stiles and he held out his hand for a high-five. My hand reached out to meet his.

"Shut up."

"Don't be such a sour wolf." Stiles hit his hand against mine and Derek glared at us.

"What'd you do with him?" Scott looked into the car.

"What?" All of us looked at Derek's open passenger door. His car was empty.

"He didn't do anything."

I looked along the tree line looking for where the vet could have gone but instead I saw a pair of glowing red eyes coming forward and _fast. _I walked backwards in line with Scott and Stiles watching Derek as he was lifted into the air by the alpha. Blood poured from his open mouth. Stiles grabbed me and pulled me up the stairs to the school with Scott a few steps behind. I looked back and saw Derek tossed to the ground. _Damn this couldn't be good_. We closed the doors behind us and Stiles and Scott each held a handle. If the alpha wanted to come in he could easily push them out of the way but I kept this thought to myself. The alpha had us trapped in a school with him right outside. He could have us dead in seconds. Derek might already be.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ash's POV**

"Lock it! Lock it!" Scott's shouting rang in my ears.

"Does it look like I have a key?"

"Grab something!"

"Like what?"

"Anything!" Stiles paused and stood up while maintaining his grip on the door and looked out the window. I came up behind him and looked too.

"No!" Scott didn't want him to go out and get the pliers that lie on the ground.

"I'll do it." They both stared at me in shock with wide eyes.

"No." This time it was in unison.

"Look, when I was attacked by the alpha he had opportunity to kill me. If he wanted me dead he would have done it already." I slipped out the door and scanned the parking lot, empty save for Stiles' jeep and Derek's car. I walked forward and down the steps to the large pliers. I bent down and picked them up.

"Ash! Ash! Come on!"

I turned around. Stiles and Scot were banging on the door. I quickly looked into the parking lot, this time I saw the alpha. He was running towards me but stopped short when a loud growl ripped through the air. Liam was standing off to the side of the parking lot, all "wolfed-out". _Shit._ I felt myself pulled back into the school by Scott. He closed the door behind us and ripped the pliers out of my hand. He and Stiles put each end into a door handle effectively keeping it, er, closed. Deep down I know the alpha could break it, hell even Scott could. I go back to the doors between them and look out at my brother still standing face to face with the alpha. Liam glances towards the door and I vaguely see his lips moving before Scott grabs my arm and pulls back.

"No!" I try to yank out of his hand but he's too strong.

"He said to go."

"Where?"

"He didn't say where. He probably just wants us away from the entrances." Stiles took off first running down the empty hallway and Scott after him. I had trouble keeping up but made it into the classroom seconds after them. As soon as I was in they grabbed the teacher's desk and started to push it toward the door.

"Wait, stop. The door isn't gonna keep it out."

"I know."

"Its your boss. Deaton. The alpha. Your boss." Stiles pointed a finger at Scott from across the desk.

"No."

"Yes."

"Murdering. Psycho. Werewolf."

"It can't be him." Scott looked at me for help.

"Well, Scott it is incredibly incriminating how he disappears then that thing shows up."

"Not him."

"He killed Derek." Stiles was really going at it.

"Derek might not be dead."

"Ash, blood spurted out of his mouth, that doesn't exactly qualify as a minor injury. He's dead and were next."

"What about Liam?" They glanced over at me and I knotted my fingers together in front of me, not wanting to meet their eyes. They chose to ignore my question and focus more on our survival.

"What do we do?"

"Get to my jeep. We get out of here. You seriously think about quitting your job. Good?" He headed over to the windows to see is the alpha was still out there. Scott tried to open one of the windows.

"The school is climate controlled, they don't open."

"Then we break it."

"Which will make a lot of noise."

"Then we run really fast."

"Stiles, what's wrong with the hood of your jeep?" I squint my eyes and Scott comes next to me to get a better view.

"What do you mean?"

"Its bent."

"Like dented?"

"No bent." I turned around to assess his reaction and to put it simple he was pissed.

"What the hell?" A few windows down something came crashing in and we sunk to the floor, little shards of glass spraying around the room.

"That's my battery." He had the flashlight pointed at the large object that slid across the floor. My inside was doing somersaults. The alpha knew we were in here.

"We have to move."

"We can't, he could be right outside."

"He _is _right outside."

"Just let me take a look." Scott kept against the wall as he stood up and turned, looking out the window.

"Anything?"

"No."

"So we leave now?"

"Leave now." We got up and left the small classroom into the dark abandoned hallways of the school.

"Somewhere without windows."

"Every single room in this building has windows!"

"Somewhere with less windows then."

"Lets go to the locker room." I started off in that direction knowing that they were close behind.

When we got there Scott crinkled his face with concentration and turned to Stiles.

"Call your dad."

"And tell him what?"

"Anything. There's a gas leak, a fire, whatever. If that thing sees the parking lot filled with cop cars it'll take off."

"What if it doesn't? What if it kills every cop in sight including my dad?"

"They have guns!"

"The boys locker room smells bad. Why couldn't we go in the girl's one?"

"Ash, that's not important right now." I frowned and ran my hands against the row of lockers. _How long will we be here?_

"We have to find a way out and just run for it."

"There's nothing near the school for at least a mile."

"What about Derek's car?"

"That could work. We go outside, take the keys off his body and then we take his car."

"_And_ him." Stiles gave me one of those "_Are you kidding me?_" Looks.

"Fine. Whatever." He turned on his heel and headed to the door. His hand was nearly on it when Scott grabbed it.

"What?"

"I think I heard something."

"_What?_"

"Shhh, be quiet. Hide." Stiles tucked himself up into a locker and I followed suit along with Scott, reluctantly. God, it smelt bad.

I listened to the door open and shut, then the sound of footsteps. I covered my mouth with my hand trying to stifle the sound of my breathing. I watched a man through the slots in the locker walk past me. I thought I was in the clear but, his eyes came back and met mine. He opened the locker and by instinct I backed up and screamed, he did the same. Stiles and Scott came out.

"Sh, be quiet."

"Quiet my ass, what the hell are you trying to do? Kill me?" It was the freaking janitor. Shakily I stepped out of the locker and rubbed my eyes. "All of you just get out."

"Just listen to me for a second, ok?"

"Not ok. Get out of here right now." He pushed us toward the locker room exit. "Just leave right now!"

He was pointing his finger out in the hallway as he was dragged back into the locker room screaming. The door shut and he was pushed against it. From our side we couldn't see much through the frosted glass but, there was blood. Scott tried opening the door but, stiles pushed him away and I followed them down the hallway. They ran ahead of me toward doors the read _exit _above them. They ran into them and bounced back. The door wouldn't open.

"What the hell?"

"It's a dumpster." I peaked through the small gab between the door to outside.

"He pushed it in front of the door, to block us in."

Stiles rattled the door one more time but just like before they wouldn't open anymore than a few inches. We started down the hall around the courtyard looking for a different way out.

"I don't want to die in school." Scott and Stiles each looked down at me from their spot on either side of me.

"We're not going to die."

"I don't want to die in school either, just, god, not here." Stiles shined his flashlight down the hall ahead of us.

"Stop it!"

"What is it doing? What does he want?"

"Me! Derek says it's stronger with a pack."

"Great, a psychotic werewolf that's into teamwork, that's beautiful." Scott slowed down and slid his arm out in front of me and Stiles, stopping us. I followed his gaze across the courtyard to the roof on the other side._ Damn._ The alpha saw us looking and ran around the roof to our side of the courtyard. We ran away as it crashed into the window. We ran down into the basement taking a series of turns and doors. We finally came to rest at a spot next to another doorway. We could hear the alpha coming but there was no where else to go. Stiles pulled his keys from his pocket and threw them into the room next to us. Sure enough the alpha heard and came running, right into the trap. The alpha went in and Stiles ran and closed the door behind him. Scott pushed a desk in front of the door the long way so one end was against the door and the other against the wall of the narrow hallway. We each shared a look of victory before the alpha growled and slammed against the door but, when it didn't budge and the alpha remained trapped Stiles and Scott flashed another smile.

"Come on get across!" Scott climbed over the desk to the other side and Stiles held out a hand to help me climb over the desk to them. We recollected our thoughts, or at least me and Scott did. Stiles was ranting to the alpha through the door about how he wasn't afraid because he couldn't get to us anymore.

"I'm not scared of you! Alright? Because you're in there and we're out here. You're not going any-"

Stiles' words were cut off by a loud crash in the room that the alpha was trapped in. Our eyes traveled up to the ceiling where Stiles shined the flashlight up at the tiles as they dented in. _He fucking broke though the ceiling._

"Shit." Stiles grabbed my arm and pulled me in line with him in Scott before we took off down the hallway again.

"Wait a minute, do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Scott had us stopped in a narrow hallway in the basement with his face scrunched in concentration.

"It sounds like a phone ringing."

"What?"

"I know that ring, its Allison's phone."

"What is she doing here? Stiles give me your phone." I held out my hand and he gave it to me. I shuffled through his contacts and found Allison's number. I hit call and handed the phone to Scott.

"Its me, where are you?" There was a pause for her answer. "Where are you right now? Where? Where are you exactly?" Another pause. "Get to the lobby. Go now." He hung up and we made our way back upstairs without seeing or hearing the alpha. We pushed open the doors to the lobby the same time Allison got there.

"What are you doing here? Why'd you come?"

"Because you asked me to."

"I asked you to?" She pulled out her phone and held it up to Scott's face.

"Why do I get the feeling that you didn't send this message?"

"Because I didn't."

"Did you drive here?" Stile spoke up from next to me and pointed a finger at Allison.

"Jackson did, and Lydia, what's going on? Who sent this text?" Jackson and Lydia walked into the lobby and came over to our little group.

"Finally, can we go now?" Lydia shoved her phone back into her purse just as the ceiling tiles above us began to cave in._ Shit. Shit. Shit._

"Run!" Scott grabbed Allison's hand and me and Stiles led the way up the stairs and down the hall just as the alpha crashed to the floor.

We got into the cafeteria and everyone but me and Stiles began moving furniture in front of the door.

"Windows?" I looked over at Stiles as he bit the inside of his cheek.

"They don't seem to notice…"

"Well, make them notice." I hissed and pushed him toward the others. Stiles' pleads for attention went unnoticed as they continued stacking chairs and anything else they could find in front of the double doors we just came through.

"HELLO!" That got their attention. They paused and turned to Stiles. "Ok, nice work, really beautiful job everybody. Now, what should we do about the 20 foot wall of windows?" He gestured with his arms towards the wall and sighed.

"Can somebody please explain to me what's going on because I'm freaking out here and I'd really like to know why." We all looked at Scott and he gave me and Stiles a frustrated glare. "Scott!"

He walked away to a table leaving Allison with Lydia and Jackson at the door. He glanced once more to me and Stiles and sighed. When he failed to speak Stiles took over for him.

"Somebody killed the janitor."

"What?" Lydia's voice was a high squeak when she spoke.

"Yeah, the janitor is dead." I walked behind Stiles as he made his way to the others and we all watched Scott's back as he thought of a plausible lie to get us out of this mess.

"What are you talking about? Is this a joke?"

"Who killed him?"

"No, no, no. This is supposed to be over, a mountain lion killed-"

"Don't you get. There wasn't a mountain lion."

"Who was it?" Allison's eyes were filling up with tears as she spoke. "What does he want? SCOTT?"

"I don't know. I-I, I just if-if we go out there he's gonna kill us."

"What? He's gonna kill us?" I watched Lydia's vice grip on Jackson tighten as she coked out the words no one should ever have to say.

"Who? Who is it?" Allison almost sounded angry when she looked to me and Stiles, realizing she wouldn't get an answer from Scott.

"It's Derek. It's Derek Hale." Scott was telling them it was Derek. Its not Derek. Why would he say that?

"Derek killed the janitor?" _No._

"Are you sure?"_ Most definitely not._

"I saw him."_ Liar._

"But the mountain lion-" _Give it up._

"No Derek killed them."_ Scott, I'm going to kill__** you.**_

"All of them?"

"Yes, starting with his own sister."

"And the bus driver?"

"And the guy in the video store. It's been Derek the whole time." I swallowed the lump in my throat and realized I was holding Stiles' hand. I bit my bottom lip and squeezed tighter. _He wasn't making up lies._

"He's in here with us and if we don't get out now he's going to kill us too."

"Call the cops."

"No." Stiles doesn't want his dad to get hurt.

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean no. You wanna hear it in Spanish? No. Look, Derek killed three people, we don't know what he's armed with."

"Your dad is armed with an entire sheriff's department. Call him." Lydia stepped away from Jackson and pulled out her phone.

"I'm calling."

"No, Lydia, would you just hold on." He let go of my hand and stepped after her but Jackson pushed him back.

"Yes, we're at Beacon Hills high school. We're trapped and we need you to-" Stiles grabbed my hand again and leaned against the wall as Scott came to join us. "But-" She looked down at the phone in her hand and frowned. "She hung up on me."

"The police hung up on you?"

"She said they got a tip warning them that there were gonna be prank calls about a prank call at the high school. She said if I called again they were going to trace it and have me arrested."

"Then call again." Allison said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world but, Stiles brought her back to reality.

"No, they won't trace a cell. And they'll send a car to your house before they send anyone here."

"But-But, what is this?" Allison ran her hands through her hair. "Why does Derek want to kill us? Why is he killing anyone?"

"Why is everyone looking at me?" I raised my eyebrows at Scott. He _is_ the one who got us into this.

"Is he the one that sent her the text?"

"No! I- I mean, I don't know."

"Is he the one that called the police?"

"I don't know!"

"Ok, why don't we ease back on the throttle here…" Stiles pushed Scott back to talk to him which left me awkwardly standing next to the others. I fiddled with my hands in front of me then stuffed them into the front pocket of my sweatshirt and began humming. All of a sudden Jackson erupted beside me and I flinched back in surprise.

"Alright ass-heads-"

"They're not ass-heads!"

"They got us all stuck in here!" Jackson glared at me then shot my friends a look.

"You chose to follow us down the hall, if you wanted to go somewhere different you could have so I suggest you stop blaming them. We're all here on our own accord." I returned his look with one of my one and put more distance between us.

"New plan." He went on like I hadn't interrupted him, with his same arrogant attitude. "Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to send someone with a gun and a decent aim. Are we good with that?" Stiles started to shake his head and opened his mouth a little but closed it again.

"He's right. Tell him the truth if you have to. Just call him." I saw Stiles' mouth move but couldn't hear the words. He turned his back to us and shook his head. That wasn't enough for Jackson.

"Alright, give me the phone."

He approached Stiles from behind and put his hand on Stiles' shoulder. Stiles whirled around and slammed his fist into Jackson's face sending him staggering away. I found myself smiling sickly as he cupped a hand around his nose and as Allison went after him crouching down beside him. Dramatically Sties pulled his phone from his pocket and I stood by his arm watching him scroll through his contacts to his father's number. He pulled the phone to his ear and bit the inside of his lip glancing down at me.

"Dad. Hey, its me… and its your voicemail. Look, I need you to call me back. Now. Like right now."

The doors with chairs piled in front of them shuttered against the weight of the chairs as something tried to push in from the outside. It sent shivers down my back and I swiftly moved behind Stiles and Scott putting more distance between me and the alpha, who was just on the other side of the doors. The doors continued to rattle and we all pushed back further into thee room. I pulled on the sleeve of Stiles' jacket so he was more in front of me.

"We're at the school. Dad, we're at the school." He hung up. "The kitchen. There's a door out of the kitchen to a stairwell."

"That only goes up!"

"Up is better than here."

Screws were literally flying of the door handles as Lydia held onto Jackson and Allison to Scott. I tugged Stiles' arm and he turned around grabbed my hand and ran leading the way for the rest of us and dragging me along. Through the kitchen. Up the stairs. Down the hallway. Into a chemistry classroom. Scott locked the door behind us and put a chair under the knob. _Like that could stop him._

"Jackson, how many people can fit in your car?"

"Five is someone squeezes on someone's lap."

"Too bad there's six of us!" I hiss at him.

"It doesn't matter. There's no getting out without drawing attention."

"What about this?" Scott leads us over to a door behind the teacher's desk. "This leads to the roof. We can go down to the fire escape and get to the parking lot in seconds."

"It's a deadbolt."

"The janitor has a key."

"You mean his body has it."

"I can get it." Scott shakes his head as if he's trying to convince himself. He leans in close to Stiles and whispers something to him that the rest of us can't hear. "I'm getting the key." He walks off towards the door we came in through.

"You can't go out there unarmed."

"We can make him a firebomb." We all look at Lydia eyeing the glass cabinet full of chemicals and flasks. "There's everything you need to make a self-igniting mulitov cocktail."

"Self igniting…." Stiles tests out the words and Lydia finishes for him.

"Mulitov cocktail. I read it somewhere."

"We don't have key for that either."

Stiles gestured with his hand to the cabinet and Jackson sighed before elbowing the glass and successfully gaining us access to the wide array of chemicals.

In no time Lydia got to work measuring and mixing as we handed her whatever she asked for.

"Jackson, hand me the sulfuric acid." She added it in swirled the flask and put a cork stopper on top before handing it across the table to Scott.

"No. No, this is insane. You can't do this. You can not go out there." Allison sounded like she was about to cry as she stepped toward Scott.

"We can't just sit and wait for Stiles' dad to check his messages."

"You could die. Don't you get that? He's killed three people."

"And we're next. Somebody has to do something." He moved to the door and Allison followed him.

"Scott. Stop. Do you remember when you told me how you knew whether or not I was lying. I have a tell." Scott nodded his head. "Well, so do you. You're a horrible liar and you've been lying all night. Just please. Please don't go. Please don't leave us. Please." I watched the tears trickle from her eyes as she looked up at Scott who remained virtually impassive. He looked around at us and made his decision.

"Lock it behind me." His voice was just above a whisper as he turned once again except this time he actually left. Allison turned to us with tears still gliding down her face.

I leaned against the wall next to Stiles as Allison perched herself cross-legged on top of the table Jackson and Lydia were leaning against.

"I don't get it. Why did he just leave us here? And I can't- I can't stop my hands from shaking."

"Its okay." Jackson took her hands in his which elicited a look shared between me and Stiles.

"Jackson. You handed me the sulfuric acid, right? It had to be sulfuric acid. It won't ignite if its not."

"Look, I gave you exactly what you asked for, didn't I?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure you did." I walked over to the small table that the bomb was created at and read the label on the bottle. I licked my lips and set it back down.

"You must be stupid?" I spat my words at him and he glanced at me.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"This _isn't _sulfuric acid." They all watched me as I came closer and pointed a finger in his face. I could feel the tears stinging my eyes but I couldn't let it stop me. "If that shit doesn't catch fire its on you."

"So what?"

"If it doesn't work, Scott could die. If he doesn't walk back in that door, its on your shoulders!"

I could feel myself shaking. _I don't know if Derek or Liam are still alive and if I lost one of my only friends too… _Stiles pulled me back as the tears fell. He turned me around and hugged me as I cried. My sobs we're drowned out by a loud howl. The noise was terrible and we all covered our ears except for Jackson who sunk to his knew and gripped the back of his neck. His screams filled the room with white noise. We had no idea what to do so we just stared at him. _What the hell?_

His screams died down as Lydia and Allison helped him up despite his obvious efforts to get them to stop.

"I'm fine. I'm okay."

"That didn't sound ok at all."

"What's on the back of your neck?" Stiles' hand was swatted away by Jackson immediately.

"Alright can we not argue for half a second here?" I threw my hands up and stood in front of the semi-circle as the tears slowed down but the shaking continued. "Scott could be dying and you're concerned about the back of Jackson's neck? Like really Stiles?"

"Well-"

"Where _is_ Scott? He should be back by now." A _clink_ sound came form outside the door. Allison ran over and tried the knob.

"Scott! Scott?" She was hitting the door with her fists.

"Stop."

"Stop!" I reiterated Lydia's words and Allison finally let her panic cease.

"Did you hear that? Listen." Sirens. _Yes. Yes. Yes._

We all ran to the windows and looked out. Sure enough police cars began flooding the parking lot next to Stiles' jeep. _Derek's car is gone._

I found myself at an ambulance. They were trying to calm me down giving me something to take, which I eventually did. I wanted to see Liam.

"Please. I want to see my brother. Please take me home. Now." The crying started again.

"Please calm down, sheriff Stilinski is going to take you to your house after he's done talking to the others."

"I want to go now."

**Derek's POV**

I sat in their hallway bathroom after cleaning my injuries from the alpha. They were healing but, healing slow. They were almost closed up as I heard a car pull up outside and listened to Liam as he answered the door. Sheriff Stilinski's voice floated to my ears first.

"She's ok. I mean we gave her something to calm her down. It should wear off by morning."

"Thank you. Is everyone else ok? Do they know who did it?"

"Everyone is fine, just a little shaken up. Its suspected that it was Derek Hale. Scott and Sties said they saw him."

"Oh."

"Yeah, its unfortunate. Well, have a good night. If we need to talk to her again we'll call."

I heard Liam's footsteps as he took the stairs. I was nearly completely healed so I got up and stood in the doorway as he passed. Ashling had her arms wrapped around his neck and her eyes locked with mine over his shoulder as he passed. I followed them into Ashling's room where he set her down and turned to me.

"Will the alpha try again tonight?"

"There isn't really a way of telling…"

"Can you just stay here incase, I mean I know even together we can't take him down-"

"I'll stay."

I found myself watching a glossy-eyed Ashling who was doing nothing but staring at me. _Oh, she must definitely got something to calm her down and void her of human emotion._

"I thought you both died."

"We thought you might have died." She pouted out her bottom lip and blinked.

"He tried."

"You need to sleep." I moved closer and she stood up quickly, swaying back and forth a little.

"I'm not tired." I put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down.

"I can tell that you're lying."

I pulled down the blankets at the top of her bed and watched her crawl down under them, not bothering to change out of the jeans and sweatshirt she had been wearing. I kicked off my shoes and sat down on the other side with my back against the headboard.

I woke up to the sound of thunder outside and tapping on Ashling's window. Beside me the bed was empty. I got up and crossed the room throwing open the window to see Ashling sitting out on the roof in the rain.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" I stepped out into the rain and picked her up carrying her back in.

"I woke up out there, it was already raining. "I remember going out there but I don't know why…"

"Whatever the paramedics gave you was strong. You didn't know what you were doing."

"Oh."

She yawned and slowly made her way to her dresser pulling out dry clothes. Apparently she was over me seeing her half naked because she started to get dressed with her back to me. I went back to her bed and this time got under the covers intending to fall asleep on purpose this time. She came back to her bed in a t-shirt and sweat pants, much like the ones she had on before we left to go to the school.

Thirty minutes later she was still awake tossing and turning beside me, keeping me up too. Every time a clap of thunder would sound through the sky she would move just a fraction of an inch closer to me.

"Are you afraid of thunder storms?"

"No." Her voice was quiet and her heart beat faster.

"You remember that I can tell when you're lying, right?" She let out a frustrated groan and launched into a speech much too animated for someone half asleep.

"Ok, yeah. Maybe a little. I know its completely irrational, the thunder can't hurt me but, there's just something that gets to me about it. Maybe its how loud it is or maybe-"

I cut off her words by gruffly turning over so I could see her on her side facing me, and put one hand on her back pulling her closer to me. I felt her stiffen against my chest momentarily before relaxing and leaning her head against me more.

"Derek?"

"Yes?" She pulled away from me and propped herself on one elbow.

"I'll probably regret this later."

"Regret what?"

She leaned down her hair shielding around our faces and kissed me. I put me hands on her back and tugged her so she was laying on top of me. When the kiss finally broke I looked up at her to see a grin on her face.

"That was not a mistake and don't try to tell me it was." She mover her body off of mine but kept her head in the crook of my neck.

"I don't think I will." A clap of thunder sounded outside and I felt her body quiver. I pulled her closer and brought a hand up to stroke her hair. Pretty soon she fell asleep and I followed.


End file.
